#and ranked before Angeal

[getvalentined]

My biggest fear about the upcoming EC chapter was that it would be Sephiroth and Angeal with no sign of Genesis, in spite of Sephiroth's relationship with Genesis literally being front and center at the start of FS—and I fucking called it, apparently!

How did I fucking know they were gonna do this? I could sense that they were gonna shoulder Genesis out of the two most important relationships of his entire storyline.

Sephiroth's most important relationship ever is the 10 days he had with Glenn, Angeal's most important relationship is some mission that he had as a teenager with Sephiroth, and Genesis doesn't fucking exist except as a name in Sephiroth's contact list. Very cool, SE. I love that. Thanks.

I'm so fucking sick of my faves being turned into afterthoughts who don't do anything.

[inzsanewrites]

Read to Me

Ever Crisis!Sephiroth X SOLDIER! Reader

⚠️: Professor Hojo mention, Reader is illiterate and the same age as Ever Crisis Sephiroth

♥︎♡──────────────────♡♥︎

“Mr. Genesis, can you read this to me?”

“…”

“Just one chapter?”

“…”

Despite all your pleading begging and bargaining, Genesis remained fixated on the Loveless book in his hand, not even uttering a word to you despite your hours of persistence. Frustrated, you stared at him for a while before sighing and inevitably leaving.

Walking to the training simulation you couldn’t help yourself from lamenting of the book in your hand. The cover was pretty with all the thorns, roses, and trees on it but if someone asked you the title you couldn’t even answer. However it truly wasn’t your fault.

From the moment your eyes opened in this world your very existence was tied to battle. Despite being well over a decade old, your bed remained hard due to the few times you had rested on it, often being on the battlefield or in the training room further honing your fatality. There were even days were you sat undetected in the training room watching others run through their simulations, studying their movements. There wasn’t a single peace of writing or reading material in your life.

When you had discovered this pretty book when Angeal had approached you saying it was a gift to keep you doing something other than fighting. It didn’t take him long after to notice you couldn’t you couldn’t read a single word. Further experiments revealed you couldn’t even recognize your own name.

Ever the righteous man and comrade, he took it upon himself to read the book to you when he had the time. Unfortunately, Angeal had been stationed elsewhere and you had just returned only to find the door to the training simulation locked. With nothing else to do you picked up the book. Knowing, you couldn’t read it yourself you went around asking your fellow SOLDIERS but from the way they flinched and stammered when you approached them you knew it wouldn’t be a good situation. Conceding, you went to Genesis knowing he loved the book Loveless and could probably share a chapter with you, that however went up in shambles.

Sitting by the door to the training room, you stared at the book hoping it would magically make sense.

“Y/N?”

The door opened to reveal Sephiroth, your friend, you think. There weren’t a lot of high rank SOLDIERS your age when you saw him and found he was like you, you walked up to him and declared that you two were friends without a second thought. It was something Hojo seemed… happy about that allowing you two to meet at times on certain missions.

“Hello, Sephiroth.”

He nodded, taking in your position on the floor. “Were you hoping to use the simulation?”

“No,” you pulled up the book. “I am looking for someone to read this to me.”

From the way he seemed to understand it seemed your illiteracy had spread across other SOLDIERS. You had thought that he would continue on his way, but you didn’t expect him to gesture to the training room.

“If you do not mind, then I can be of assistance.”

“Really!” You followed after him, book in hand. “Thank you!”

There was a meaningful look in his eyes, something both of you were too inexperienced and isolated to discern and detect. Maybe when you were older you both would understand what it meant.

“No problem. We are friends after all.”

[rottenpumpkin13]

I'm dying at how Angeal does not give a single morsel of a fuck. Sephiroth can hold any rank and title Shinra gives him. That boy was told off. That boy was parented. That boy was scrutinized. That boy was reprimanded. Angeal's singular mission in life is to not take this child's shit and I'm here for it. We expected grump/ sunshine dynamics, instead we got sassy child and tired mother. It was the same energy as arguing with your mom ten minutes before you have to be out in public, and then you spend the entire outing giving her lip while she threatens to take away your play station. Angeal even told him off for not attending briefings. What a time to be alive.

[the6thpaladinofvoltron]

Sephiroth and Female Reader: A Short Excerpt-Crisis Core Era.

The moment Sephiroth himself brought you on board as a new recruit, a connection instantly tethered you two together. It was quite a mystery; because aside from Genesis, Angeal, and Zack, the silver soldier wasn't known to bond with others so quickly.

You rose through the ranks under Sephiroth's wing (no pun intended), spending hours training together, going on missions together, and chatting in your rare off time. So much so that fellow Soldiers started calling you Sephiroth's Girl.

"Hey there, fellow Cadet!" Zack, the Puppy Soldier, scampered up to you. "Hojo wants to see you in the lab."

You inwardly shiver hearing that name, but begrudgingly agree to see what that horrid scientist wants.

You despised Hojo. Mostly because you were able to see just how uncomfortable Sephiroth was in the doctor's presence, and you came to the conclusion that Hojo must've done some violating things to your friend. That and Sephiroth made sure that for any medical checkups, Hojo was allowed nowhere near you.

And the irony, on your way down, you passed by the silver soldier as he was headed in the same direction. And he immediately took notice of this.

"Don't tell me that Hojo requested your presence at the lab too?"

"...Yes." You slowly answer, suspicion creeping into your brain. "He has. What does he want you for?"

Alarm bells rang in Sephiroth's head. Hojo must've noticed how close he was getting with you. He grabbed your wrist rather hard and started leading you away from the elevator.

"Ouch! Sephiroth, hold your horses! What are you doing?"

He tugs you into a training room and taps in a code to lock the door before answering.

"Don't freak out, but there's only one reason why Hojo would call both of us into his office. That monster..."

You can see Sephiroth's body convulse as he struggles to get the words out. And it clicks. You start to feel rage simmer at the base of your gut.

"That lunatic wants to... breed us?! UGH! No, no, a million times no, I am not letting that quack use me to violate you!"

Sephiroth isn't surprised that you managed to piece it together, you were very clever when it came to figuring out problems.

"There you go again putting me first, Cadet. Your body matters too, you know, and I am not letting Hojo get his hands on you."

You notice something, something different, an intensity in those blue/green eyes that you've never seen before. Sephiroth was always protective of you, but now, of all times, you start to question why.

"Sephiroth? ...I have to ask, why me? I mean, I really appreciate everything you've done for me, but why? I'm just your average Soldier."

"...Cadet, you're more than that."

Sephiroth hesitated. He was scared. Scared that if he told you why he cared about you, that you would disappear just like Angeal and Genesis. But he had to, you wanted an answer.

"The day I selected you out of dozens of candidates for Shinra, I didn't know yet just how much you would mean to me. You treat me as a human, Cadet; not a hero to live up to, not a celebrity to admire, and not a test subject to poke and prod whenever you feel like it. I'm your equal, your friend... You help me feel normal."

You stare at your friend, unable to form words. But, your body moves on its own, your arms encircling Sephiroth and pulling him into a hug. And from the way you feel his arms grab onto you and his body relax, it seems he really needed this.

"Sephiroth... I promise... I'm gonna try my best to always be there for you. And if Hojo ever tries anything, can I borrow your sword to skewer him?"

The silver soldier chuckles softly.

"Sure you can. And... I promise to try to always be there for you in return. I won't let anything hurt you."

[foreststarflaime]

Imagine. SOLDIER vs Turks paintball war

Turks vs soldier, infantry split between them

One group starts at the bottom and the objective is to get to the top of the tower and hit the president with a paintball (this is definitely not official or known about by any of the higher ups, zack and reno masterminded it and got kunsel to spread the word amongst the lower ranks, so the president will be hiding under his desk convinced he is caught in the midst of a sudden company wide civil war)

Genesis tries to sacrifice sephiroth for his own gain but seph starts making out with him to distract him and then shoots him in the back L

Angeal was the only one not told of this bc they were afraid he’d snitch so he wakes up to genesis screaming bloody murder covered in paint on the floor of the hallway and sephiroth trading fire with several turks in black ops paintball gear hanging out of air vents

He closes the door again and pours himself vodka instead of coffee

Towards the end of the game cissnei gets cloud with a flashbang before zack can take her out, then while defending a blinded cloud he runs into an ambush in a hallway and is pelted with paint but gets most of them, cloud drives the rest back and then “you’ll be my living legacy” *presses paintball gun into his hands and fake dies* and cloud barrels the rest of the way to the president’s office fueled by rage and shoots him, winning the game

Angeal gets a call from zack bidding him tearful farewells like he’s dying, makes his last words as he pretends to cough up paint-blood “sorry I stole the buster to use as a painball shield it’s wider than my sword”

Goes up to chew him out stepping over countless bodies of the fallen to find zack now on call with aerith, both fully into the act sobbing over the phone over zack ‘dying’

In the hours between him finding out about the paintball war and zack calling him he got absolutely wasted with lazard so when he gets to zack’s funeral he sees the red paint hears kunsel’s extremely touching speech and momgeal breaks down sobbing “he was too young to die” holding an also sobbing zack on the floor

Kunsel is holding a funeral for him in the hallway, now genesis is storming about raging that he didn’t get one

The paintball duel between sephiroth and rufus lasts long after the game is officially over. They have to drag them apart

[esamastation]

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

Ao3 link.

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

-

They've landed in Wutai after a frankly miserable plane ride in a windowless, seat-less troop carrier - which, why even call it a troop carrier when it's clearly not designed to be carrying people? The thing is filled with boxes and stuff, there was barely enough room to move!

Guess that's what happens with last minute takeoffs - you get what you get.

The first few minutes onboard were fine and kinda novel - being on a plane at all was kind of a mind trip, because, heh, plane, Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky, eat your heart out! But then it became just hours upon hours of boredom in a rattling tube of metal. Sword flying is clearly a superior mode of transport.

"We will have your things delivered to wherever you're going to be staying," Reno says, waving them off the plane, hiis attention fixed on one of the bigger boxes. "Rude, come give me a hand with this…"

"We should -" Rude starts to say, looking at the SOLDIERs.

"Yeah, yeah, now come give me a hand with this."

Angeal gives them an awkward, slightly relieved smile and then claps Sephiroth on the shoulder. "We better get out of the way," he says, and together they exit the plane.

Sephiroth had been bracing himself for a warfront, Angeal had even told him what to expect, but he… didn't actually know what that entailed.

Shinra troops had taken over a small town at the foot of Tamblin Mountain sometime in the past and are now using it as their forward base. That's where they land - in a dirt runway cut into the forest, just by the town. And it's…

It reminds him of old movies, the mixture of vaguely mixed Asian style buildings, with these modern canvas tents pitched in between them and on the roads. There are trucks that totally aren't jeeps that have worn grooves into soft  streets, unprepared for such traffic, making everything messy and muddy. They've erected fences all over the place, sectioning parts off, and there are  floodlights everywhere. There's also  robots patrolling the place. 

In the distance, on the rolling hills somewhere to the west, there are rice paddies and behind them mountains. All around them there's a lush wall of green that looks almost like a rainforest. It actually might be rainforest! It would fit the allegory!

The mental, ethnic vertigo is so strong for a moment that Sephiroth doesn't know which way to turn to look. He doesn't know what to think. Mostly he just feels kinda… unnerved.

Angeal returns to his side before he even realises he'd gone somewhere. "I talked to the Colonel. Come on," Angeal says, clapping him on the shoulder. "They've set up a place for us. We'll… debrief there."

"... Hn," Sephiroth answers, and follows him.

There's a lot of Shinra troops milling about, infantry mostly, but some SOLDIER Seconds and Thirds too. They all stop to stare. Some of them look excited, but most just look tired and dirty and worn.

Sephiroth wonders if the Colonel is in charge of them. Actually, it might be that they're now in charge of everyone here! They're SOLDIERs First Class. Isn't that the highest rank? He can't remember if Sephiroth being a General was fanon or canon, but hasn't he been involved with the war since the beginning?

Would he have to give orders now, orders to march, to fight… to kill?

Angeal shows him to a house that was clearly someone's home before Shinra took the place over. It's a single room with tatami floors and rice paper walls, and the military bunks clash with the aesthetic horribly. Their pillows are clearly seat cushions.

There's a fancy looking kimono stand that's being used to hang bags and ammo satchels.

"What happened to the people who lived here?" Sephiroth can't help but ask, staring at the stand and wondering where the kimono had gone.

"They abandoned the town ahead of the troops," Angeal says.

Sephiroth looks at him and then at the room. Did they really, or is that a nicer thought than they were all executed? "... Right," he says and picks up the seat cushions from the bunk, piling them up in the corner - wondering if there was a table here, and what happened to it.

"Are you alright?" Angeal asks.

Probably not! "What's our mission here?" Sephiroth asks, picking up bags and satchels from the stand and carrying them outside.

"... We have a day to acclimate. After that, there's a number of things that need to be accomplished," Angeal says, subdued, and takes out his phone. "We can start slow - there's no major engagements being planned just now, no one will mind."

"Mn, and what does starting slow mean?" Sephiroth asks, as he picks up stuff around the hut and gets rid of it.

"Well, there's a number of monster extermination requests around here - Wutai wildlife is high-level, and it's rumoured that they're being intentionally bred by Wutai people. They've been attacking patrols."

Sephiroth gets rid of most of the random crap in the hut and then considers the bunk beds. They're ugly and probably unpleasant, but… they have to sleep somewhere. 

It takes just one swing of Masamune to improve the situation immensely.

"Um," Angeal says as Sephiroth finishes separating the beds and moves one of them to the other side of the hut. "... Why?"

"I am not sleeping in a bunk bed," Sephiroth says simply and looks around. "... Do you think they have folding screens around here?"

 Angeal arches his brows. "I don't know for sure. I suppose we could ask around? I think there's a storage house where they've put the collected, um," he clears his throat. "Things that will be sent to Midgar eventually. Maybe we can requisition some of it."

Things to be sent to Midgar…  that's nice. That's a nice way to say the spoils of war, huh. 

Sephiroth looks away. It's the way of war, he knows that, nothing unusual about it. It happened in PIDW too - cut out all the smut and stupidity, and all Binghe did was plunder and loot and pillage. When he wasn't being handed tributes, anyway. It's just par for the course! Right? Right…

"You…" Angeal starts and then sighs and puts the phone away. "How about I'll go get a screen for you, if there's any available. Do you want anything else?" He sounds very indulgent and understanding.

"Two screens. And a table," Sephiroth says without facing him, feeling like a sullen little kid being placated. "... Thank you. Can you ask someone to get rid of the - stuff outside?"

"I'll take care of it," Angeal promises. "You just… take a moment to make yourself comfortable, okay? There's no rush."

Aka, pull yourself together, man, you're looking really pitiful right now. Thanks, Angeal-bro.

Sephiroth's waits until Angeal is gone before sinking down to sit on one of the beds, putting his head in his hands.

Though they'd not seen much from the plane, what with it not having windows and all, he can see it in his mind's eye now. Burned villages smoking in the jungle, scorched fields, muddy paddies ruined. He'd never cared much for any kind of war stuff, but he'd seen his share of first person shooters and letsplays.

It all feels very real all of a sudden.

And he's supposed to be the Big Bad here! The Demon of Wutai! Who knows how many people he's already killed in this war! And sure, it is a war, and that's what happens, and yeah, he has killed before as Shen Qingqiu, but -!

Going to war on behalf of the America-allegory of the situation? The invader, the hostile occupier, the - the evil planet-sucking dystopian megacorporation?!

Dragging his hands down his face, Sephiroth sighs and looks up.

There are calligraphy scrolls hung up on each side of the door. One reads Integrity and the other Honour. Sephiroth stares at them miserably for a long moment.

Yeah.

He's so going to end up defecting here, isn't he? Four days, four days in this world, and he's doing to fuck up the whole plot, right here and now. It must be some kind of record! But where the fuck will be even defect to? The Demon of Wutai, hello?! The locals probably want his head on a spike!

"I am so fucked," he mutters wretchedly and hangs his head.

[strayheartless]

I want to talk about Genesis when he’s angry with his friends. Not his performative flying off the handle but his actual anger.

I’m imagining the first time Angeal comes into contact with it is just before they sign up for SOLDIER. Maybe he tells Gen that he’s too sickly to be a SOLDIER. Maybe he doesn’t expect Gen to go silent (he doesn’t do that usually.) he expects yelling and throwing things and being generally Genesis about it.

He doesn’t expect Genesis to go stone faced and silent, to look Angeal dead in the eye and to keep looking him in the eye until Angeal can’t keep looking at him. He doesn’t expect Genesis to stand solid and immovable nor did he expect the swift, soft and extremely final “get out”.

Angeal has talked to his mother and to Sephiroth about how devastating Genesis’s rage can be.

Sephiroth doesn’t really pay it much mind. He thinks he’s seen all that Gens anger has to give. He thinks he’s seen Genesis “rage”.

But then they are eighteen and Gen and Angeal are on the cusp of becoming Firsts. They are training together all three and Sephiroth gets fustrated with Genesis’s form, his lack of adherence to direction and order. He ends up yelling that Genesis has no place as a first class soldier, that he is a disgrace to the rank of soldier.

Angeal stops moving and goes to look fearfully at Gen. he expects silence and unblinking anger, but there’s a woosh sound and as he finally looks over he sees Sephiroth’s head has snapped to the side and a deep cut trickles blood on his cheek bone.

Gen isn’t breathing heavy. Hes not yelling or getting in Sephs face. Angeal isn’t even sure Genesis has registered his own movement. But his eyes are fire. His posture is what it had been that day Angeal had questioned his ability too, but he’d never struck Angeal. Genesis never would strike Angeal, he knows that. Gen is many things but he’s not that…

Sephiroth puts his hand to his cheek and sees the blood, notices that the strike has sliced hair from his bangs. Seph is in shock, because in all the time they’ve been training Genesis has never gotten a hit on him like that. NOBODY has ever gotten a hit on him like that except Hojo, and that is only because it would be more then Sephs life was worth to fight the man back.

He starts shaking. Genesis stares at him in silent unrelenting rage and says “How weak I must be. To make a God bleed.” And then turns and leaves.

The first time Zack ever sees Genesis Rage, it isn’t directed at him. Its in Wutai and technically Zack wasn’t even part of Gens company; he was part of Angeals. Except Angeals been Cut down, and Sephiroth is further up the battlefield cutting a way through the lines of soldiers.

Genesis watches Angeal go down. He watches Zack knee slide towards the man and pack his wound as the Medic struggles to get to them.

Zack sees Genesis face Angeal’s would be executioner. He watches him cut down the man with brutal efficiency that would give post Nibelheim Sephiroth a run for his money. He tries to keep up with the swing of Rapier, but suddenly the battles over and Angeals been taken off his hands and Genesis is stood above a sea of bodies.

Zack sees Sephiroth come towards them. He sees him check on Angeal, watches his Mentor grab Sephs hand and pull him down to tell him something from the stretcher. He watches Sephiroth nod and move to Genesis, placing a hand on the man’s cheek to clean the blood that’s flecked there.

And there the two of them stand.

The demon of Wutai and his angel of death. Beautiful in their terribleness.

Zack thinks later, when Genesis has deserted that Shinra does not have a clue what they have unleashed.

Zack KNOWS after Nibelheim that it is only by the grace of Gaia that Genesis and Sephiroth did not choose to inflict their rage together.

Cloud knows upon seeing Genesis rage after the events of AC that it is only by the Grace of Genesis himself that they do not fall to his mercy. Sephiroth will always be the distroyer of worlds. But Genesis has true potential to be a vengful god.

[altocat]

‘Ello!! Hope it’s been a lovely weekend!! 💕

I don’t know if I’ve ever asked you this before but shshhshshshhs Can we get some Zack & Seph bonding over Angeal angst/comfort plz?? :3ccc

Yesssssssss of course !

Sephiroth and Zack don't really talk much after the incident in Modeoheim. There's a lot of bitter feelings there. Zack blames Sephiroth for making him have to deal with that heartache. It should have been Sephiroth, not him. Sephiroth could have stopped it. It's not fair! Angeal would still be alive!

Sephiroth is aware of Zack's ill feelings, mostly mourning quietly alone, his nightmares getting worse than ever, barely eating or sleeping. Most of the time, he's mindlessly performing tasks thanks to the cocktail of drugs Hojo is pumping into him.

Despite this, thanks to the dwindling ranks in SOLDIER, both are assigned a mission together investigating some rogue rebel activity in the mountains. It's cold and rainy and miserable. And Sephiroth and Zack can't even bear to look at each other.

They tail the rebels all the way to the peaks, cornering them on the fragile remains of a bridge, now halfway frozen over from the chill.

Zack moodily thinks that now's the part where Sephiroth coldly murders everyone. That's what soldiers do, right? That's what HE had to do to Angeal. Just mindless killing. Callous slaying of anyone who doesn't fit. Ruining lives. Just like Angeal.

Zack isn't paying attention, too agitated to notice the enemy creeping up from behind. He has mere seconds to react before the gunshot rings out, followed by the frantic rush of air as Sephiroth shoves him out of the way to take the hit.

He watched in horror as Sephiroth falls nearly twenty feet, crashing hard into a jutting snowy cliff side below.

He's an absolute mess when the helicopter comes in to retrieve them, Sephiroth's battered body being taken away to Medical the second they land.

Zack's a shaking, helpless wreck, reliving Angeal's death over and over. Oh gods it's happening again. And it's all his fault. And now he's going to lose someone else too. And he was so cold to Seph beforehand. He blamed him for everything when really it was NO ONE'S fault. And now Sephiroth is going to die and he's going to have to bury another friend and and and...

Days pass. Zack endures sleepless nights letting his inner demons eat at him. He is a trembling mess by the time he's finally able to step out onto the main SOLDIER floor again, freezing at the sight of Sephiroth standing near the doorway, alive and well, his arm carefully wrapped up in a sling.

"You're... you're okay."

"Mm? Oh. Yes. It was a bad fall. But my healing capabilities proved to be amply useful for such an occasion. I received clearance this morning to return to my duties, though I've been instructed not to strain myself."

Zack miserably hangs his head, relief and guilt intermingling in his belly, his face hot, eyes red and watery.

"Listen, Sephiroth? I... about earlier..."

Sephiroth tilts his head, seemingly confused, watching as the young First dithers and balks.

"I...you saved me."

"Think nothing of it. It was instinct. A team leader's responsibility is to protect his men."

"I thought you'd died. I mean...gods, this is such a mess. I was so mad at you. I shouldn't have been. But I was. I blamed you for Angeal when I should've just talked it out. I just let it get to me. And... and... and you still..."

He forces himself not to cry, not even when Sephiroth's free hand gently, if not awkwardly, reaches over to pat his shoulder.

"...I was not keen on losing you as well."

And the tears are coming now, his efforts fruitless. He feels like a child, pawing at his eyes, shaky laugh as he shakes his head. "G-guess we have that feeling in common, huh?" He just wishes he understood it sooner.

He spends the rest of the afternoon at Sephiroth's side, holding his tablet up for him to make it easier for him to write. They don't speak much. But it feels different this time, awkward smiles exchanged, a kind of fragile reluctance when it's finally time to part ways for the evening.

But afterwards, Zack makes it mandatory to keep in contact at all times, sending Sephiroth text reminders so they can meet up to unwind together after a long hard day.

This goes on for a long while, an unspoken trust building, both parties emotionally relying on each other without ever saying a word. A pure bond; burgeoning, unexpected, but genuine. Real.

Until Nibelheim.

[ff7-has-taken-me-over]

Randomly, I had a thought on how likely it would have been for different characters to have fallen for Cloud and why they would have fallen for him and now I’m here! Once more! So going in no particular order let us begin (this is just the main sort of batch of characters, let me know if you wanna see any of the side ones like the Turks or Rufus)

Also keep in mind this is just me, my opinions and my blog. Don’t like, don’t read, don’t bring your ship hating or ship wars in here or I’ll punch you. Please and thank you!

Zack: I am being mildly biased with my own shipping head canons when I say that he would’ve fallen head over heels upon first meeting, but also it is canon that he was a chronic flirt and had multiple ‘girlfriends’. So I say it’s not entirely out of the question.

Sephiroth: before he lost his mind there wasn’t a chance in fucking hell it would’ve happened I think. Besides the whole difference in rank thing Seph was already far too traumatised and probably would have just seen Cloud as another guy that saw him as nothing but a war hero. He might have entertained the thought of sleeping with him, maybe, but I really don’t think it would’ve happened. We all know how he is after he loses his mind so I don’t think I gotta delve into that.

Angeal: probably not. He definitely would’ve taken some sort of liking to Cloud, whether as a friend he could find good conversation with or a sort of protege like Zack, I dunno. But ultimately I don’t reckon they’d have too much of a connection, not without some form of poly going on or something. Which leads me to this next one.

Genesis: I for sure reckon he would’ve fallen for Cloud. It would’ve been fucking messy and drama filled and more than likely would have stemmed from an enemies to lovers cause they’re both so incredibly stubborn and head strong, but they would end up loving each other. They’d definitely still butt heads and get into useless arguments but there were far too many pros to even think of giving up on the other.

Aerith: without the whole Cloud resembling Zack thing, maybe. There’s a chance that she could have but it would have been slow. Would’ve been one of those things where they hung out and talked and did all this stuff together so often that one day she would’ve turned around and realised she was in love with him. Like a full on ‘oh’ moment.

Tifa: this is another thing that’s mildly biased based off my own head canons but I honestly don’t think Tifa would have fallen for Cloud. If not for the Nibelheim incident and Cloud being exactly what she always wished for as a kid I do not think it would’ve happened.

Barret: definitely fucking not 😂 besides the fact that he hated Cloud when they first met, Cloud is so far beyond his type it’s not even funny. Plus I feel like Barret would either be one of those guys who’s like ‘my wife was the only woman for me’ or he just wouldn’t wanna put Marlene through the stress of suddenly gaining another parent.

Biggs: maybe. Like a heavy ass possibly honestly. I feel like it would have been the most generic romance in history and it would’ve been so unbelievably normal and it most likely would have been short lived, but maybe.

Wedge: I’m not gonna lie. Wedge gives me aromantic vibes for some reason. I dunno why, he just does. He’d definitely befriend Cloud (eventually) and be willing to wingman him or something if he needed it but yeah, I don’t think Wedge would’ve fallen for him.

Jessie: she absolutely loves flirting with Cloud and teasing him and being all over him, but she is definitely a lesbian. Don’t even argue with me! That woman is a full fledged lesbian and she only flirts with guys so heavily cause it’s funny to watch them scramble.

Vincent: nah, not really. Would they have a friends with benefits thing? Probably. But I feel like Vincent is far too emotionally unavailable and traumatised to even entertain the idea of being with someone again.

Cid: I feel like this is similar to Angeal. He’d definitely like Cloud and they’d bond over mechanic shit and complain about the people they chose to surround themselves with, but he definitely wouldn’t fall for him either. Cloud is way too young for him and not nearly his type in a guy. Plus he has a wife.

[holly-fixation]

I’m sorry to hear you don’t get too many asks!!! 😭❤️ I can definitely relate on the kinda fomo it can create, so I’m right there with you, friend!! 🤝 With that said, you are wonderful person with SO many interesting, insightful, and brilliant takes to share with the world!! ❤️ I wish you much love and attention in the future!!! NO ONE can do angst quite like you can!!! 💕

And with that said…!

Angeal funeral scenario??? >:)c (perhaps mumsy comes to pay Sephiroth’s distraught mind a visit?)

It's a small service.

It would've been large, once upon a time. His family, his friends, his family's friends, friends of the small town he grew up in. But that was gone now. Even the scientist that attempted to aid did not return. His family was dead. His town was bombed. His childhood friend disserted them.

There was no body, only a jar to hold the ashes that remained. A jar specifically intended for cookies, because even in death he would not spend his hard earned gil on something flashy he would never see.

The two Firsts sat in the front row. Behind them Thirds. And behind them the cadets that always looked up to him.

Dreams. Honor. What did they mean to the dead?

Zack couldn't keep it together, attempting to hide every tightened fist and shaken head in denial. He didn't hide the angry glares as the minister spoke of key points of Angeal's life and key principles the man beside him ignored.

Sephiroth did not move, his head hung solemnly, his body as still as a statue. Though every other rank dismissed themselves after the service was over, he and the young First remained.

Zack tried to get a rise out of him. Zack accused and screamed and cursed the Silver Soldier. You made me kill him. You left ME to make that choice! Coward! The new First even struck Shinra's greatest hero before storming out.

But Sephiroth did not move, not even as the lights dimmed automatically from the lack of life in the room.

He wished he was dead too.

[chocobochaserstories]

Zack Fair Omegaverse Headcanons

Why does Zack get a drabble to himself while everyone else so far has been grouped? Don't know, don't care to think about it too hard. Focuses more on beginning of Crisis Core Zack, so he's on the younger side.

Zack is an alpha, though he’s much less aggressive than the average alpha. 

Zack doesn’t have any long term partners, nor is he bonded.

Zack is 16-23 in Before Crisis and Crisis Core, so obviously he’s a mix of teenage hormones before he mellowed out a little as he aged.

Zack is the sweetest when he’s not rutty, and will ask his partner questions the entire time (Am I too deep? Do you need me to move slower? Is this position okay? Do you need a break? Does everything feel okay? ETC.)

Zack on his ruts is feral, but given that Angeal taught him how to manage his ruts, he’s more mindful of his surroundings and finds himself a safe place where he won’t pose an accidental danger to himself or others, or do something embarrassing while he’s horny that’ll get him told off by Lazard.

Obviously, Zack isn’t perfect. SOLDIER prefers alphas to betas or omegas because of their volatile nature, but Zack was recruited into SOLDIER fairly young, and young alphas without guidance try to figure things out themselves. It generally doesn’t end well, but hey, live and learn by experience.

Alphas have a hierarchy, and there is generally a pecking order. Zack is most definitely not at the top of that order, with both Angeal and Sephiroth on top of him in the pecking order (With Sephiroth serving as a “Head” Alpha in terms of who the boss of the ‘pack’ is). This is mostly just because Zack is younger than many of the other Alphas, not his SOLDIER rank.

Zack’s dirty secret is he’ll occasionally steal laundry from an omega (usually Cloud) on wash day, and keep the shirt to cuddle in his den during his rut. He’ll sneak it back into the laundry room when his horny brain has run its course and he’s thinking clearly. He just makes it look like it was accidentally forgotten by the omega and just wound up in lost and found. He’ll rotate through what article of clothing he snatches to make it look less obvious. Cloud might catch onto him if his infantry-issued scarf was always somehow going missing.

When Angeal caught on, Zack got a lengthy lecture about how that was ‘dishonorable’ and there were more proper ways to handle his desires.

Sephiroth saw nothing wrong with it, Genesis made a mental note to do his laundry on a different day, even if Zack would never dream of taking Genesis’ laundry. Angeal would murder him.

Zack’s scent is reminiscent of his “Certified Backwater Expert” background. He has an earthy scent and smells of tree bark and ozone, clear indicators of his childhood spent outside in the Gongaga heat during summers. He has the same mechanical, metallic hints that all SOLDIERs have, as that is a result of Mako enhancements and materia usage, though the scents vary based on what materia is preferred by the operative.

[getvalentined]

Because I've had people try to tell me he wasn't a SOLDIER because they didn't do the Grasslands sidequests:

If FF7 peeps could reblog for reach I'd appreciate it!

[thelovelymissbigbadwolf]

The Stardew Valley Disaster

They create their characters as usual, with Cloud hosting the server, Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis requiring the help of Zack to enter.

How did they got the game in the first time? Zack humbly asked Kunsel to find out their emails and hack them in order to create accounts for each, of which Kunsel was responsible for creating.

Even though Zack begged Kunsel to play, he refused, saying he had played enough for the year (aka 400+ hours of SDV)

G: How the hell did you even made those accounts for us?

Z: Secret Santa.

S: You're not smart enough to figure it out on your own. Kunsel or Reno?

Z: Secret S— UH, RUDE?!

A: Rude knows how to hack?

Z: NO! I'm calling Sephiroth rude!

S: No you.

C: Alright server's done, you guys can come in.

After long thirty minutes of AGS making their characters, they went to the loading screen. Since they each had their laptops on the conference room, they could just go local.

Cloud chose Meadowlands, meaning they each started with 15 Hay pieces instead of Parsnip.

And, after Cloud telling them to skip the cutscene, the chaos begun.

Spring, Day #1

The Firsts are shown the Coop and the two chicks, Chip and Dale.

Angeal immediately fall in love with the game.

S: Can we eat them?

A: *slaps the nape of S's neck*

S: OW WHAT GIVES?!

A: Touch them and you're dead meat.

Sephiroth did not ever touched the chicks again or got close to the coop.

Zack teaches Angeal to set the Hay, simple enough.

Genesis got out to explore the sightings, commenting on whoever he sees.

G: Why is there a hobo here? Is that his tent?

C: Oh, must be Linus, he—

G: Can I toss rocks at him and make him leave?

C: ... This is not Animal Crossing, sir.

G: But I don't want a hobo in my village.

C: Too bad, suck it up.

G: Are you forgetting who you're talking to, Cadet?

Z: Uh... Guys?

A: Genesis don't be an asshole at the first person you meet.

G: Ugh. "A stranger? Hello. Don't mind me. I just live out here alone." Hobo.

C: Talk to him one more time.

G: "... Have you come to ridicule me? I'm just minding my own business."

C: And what're you doing?

G: Ridiculing him and I'd do it again.

Zack punches him and starts calling him names, Angeal took him out, scolded the living hell out of him and Genesis has a black eye. It's still 7am in game.

Zack then went to Pelican Town and greeted everyone excitedly and gave a Wild Horseradish.

Z: I'M SO SORRY FOR MY STUPID DUMBASS FRIEND, LINUS!

G: THE FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!

C: SHUT IT THE TWO OF YOU OR I'M TURNING THE SERVER OFF!

They did shut it.

Angeal went on to clean the farm complaining on the poor maintenance of the place and how lazy their (in game) grandfather is, he then passed out of exhaustion and Cloud calmly explained the mechanics.

A: But that makes no sense, if I'm already a farmer, why would I pass out because of some trees?!

Z: They fell on your head. *Giggle*

A: WHAT?! THAT'S A THING IN THIS GAME?!

C: No! It's not, and we were not farmers prior to that, we worked in an office.

A: Since when— WHY WOULD HE LEAVE A FARM IN SOMEONE INEXPERIENCED?!

C: Why would people hire an inexperienced idiot for a high ranking job?

A:

S: He has a point.

G: Can't deny that.

Z: It's like the vice president.

S: Spoiled kid getting his way before throwing a tantrum.

C: It's not really our case in the game, though, but anyway...

Angeal asked Sephiroth to finish his job since he still had a full energy bar and so he went. He passed out of exhaustion.

Then Genesis went to the beach and met Elliot.

G: Oh! He's elegant! "Ah, the new farmer we've all been expecting... and whose arrival has sparked many a conversation! I'm Elliott... I live in the little cabin by the beach. It's a pleasure to meet you."

C: He's one of the six bachelors.

S: What's a bachelor?

Z: Means you can romance them!

G: WHAT?!

A: There's relationships in this game?

G: AND SEX?!

C: Yes and NO!

Z: But with mods—

C: WE ARE NOT USING MODS!

G: "I can't seem to find the inspiration to begin writing my novel...” HE'S A WRITER??

Z: UGH! GET OFF YOUR FUCKING DUNGEON YOU EMO! I WANNA BEFRIEND YOU GODDAMNIT—

Genesis goes back home once it darkens and Cloud instructs him to sell whatever he found.

Zack goes back and puts what he found.

Cloud does the same.

In the end, there were a few forage items from Genesis. Spring Onions from Cloud. Trash from Zack.

To be continued...

[rottenpumpkin13]

Angeal agrees to help Zack host a dinner party

The Dinner Party From Hell

• It starts when Zack moves apartments, and decides to celebrate by hosting a dinner party. Since Angeal is known to host cozy gatherings at his place, he agrees to help.

• Sephiroth, Genesis, and Cloud help too. Angeal will come to regret this decision greatly.

*Before the party*

Angeal: Does everyone understand their roles tonight?

Zack: Yup! I'm gonna be the best host ever and talk to everyone.

Cloud: I'll be around serving food.

Sephiroth: And I'll be socializing with the specific intent to boost Zack's image and make him look good.

Angeal: Great. And I'll be around making sure everything's running smoothly.

Zack: Where's Genesis?

Angeal: Since I have to make sure the dinner party goes well, I've placed him in charge of the kitchen and the cooking. He's the only other one who knows how to cook.

Sephiroth: And you believe that was a wise decision?

Angeal: No, which is why I'll be taking breaks every twenty minutes to retake my anti-anxiety medication.

*Kunsel walks out of the kitchen*

Kunsel: Genesis is requesting sixteen wheels of cheese and a sterilized needle.

Angeal: I decided I will also be smoking.

Cloud: Cigarettes?

Angeal: No.

Cloud:

• The guests begin to arrive, and Sephiroth, true to his word, starts mingling. He approaches Reeve first.

Reeve: Oh hey, Sephiroth! Are you having a good time?

Sephiroth: Zack once swam the entire Meridian ocean between Junon and Wutai, showcasing his skill, strength and resilience.

Reeve:

Sephiroth:

Reeve: I don't think that's very possible.

Sephiroth: It is for Zack Fair. He didn’t even use his arms.

Reeve: His legs then?

Sephiroth: No. His mind.

*Reeve chokes on his drink, Angeal pulls Sephiroth aside*

Angeal: What are you doing?? I thought I told you to socialize and make Zack look good.

Sephiroth: Defying the laws of human biology with sheer mental fortitude to cross the ocean makes someone look incredible, in my opinion.

*Kunsel appears and taps Angeal on the shoulder*

Kunsel: Genesis is requesting a chainsaw and a crate of watermelons.

Angeal: Why does he need a chainsaw?

*Kunsel slaps Angeal*

Angeal, holding his cheek: !?

Kunsel: He told me to slap you and say "don't you dare presume to question my culinary expertise" if you asked.

Angeal:

Sephiroth: Zack Fair could part a watermelon with the sheer power of his mind.

Kunsel: Nice.

*Angeal, trembling, takes out his medication*

• Meanwhile Cloud has begun his duties as server, cautiously carrying trays of hors d'oeuvres through the crowd.

*Sephiroth is sitting next to Tseng and Reno at the dinner table when suddenly Cloud bumps into Tseng's chair and spills a wine glass on his lap*

Cloud: Tseng! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!

Tseng: It's fine, cadet. Accidents happen.

Cloud: I'll go get a towel! *he runs off*

Sephiroth: Did you know Zack once fought off an entire army with a single orb of materia.

Reno: Just the one orb? Bullshit.

Sephiroth: Oh but he never cast it. He just threw it at them. The sheer force of his throw decimated their ranks, thus proving how powerful Zack Fair is.

Tseng: I find that hard to believe.

*Cloud appears again and accidentally spills an entire platter of pasta onto Tseng's lap*

Cloud: SORRY AGAIN! I DIDN'T MEAN TO!

Tseng:

Sephiroth: Consider that karma for doubting Zack Fair's capabilities.

• Meanwhile, Zack's hosting duties are going well. He's bouncing between guests, sharing stories, and making sure everyone feels welcome.

*Zack is talking to Cissnei and Reno*

Cissnei: Hey this apple cider tastes great. Who made it?

Zack: I'm pretty sure it was Genesis. Word is he's in charge of the kitchen.

Reno: That's different. I didn't even know Rhapsodos could cook.

Sephiroth, appearing out of nowhere: Did you know Zack once survived an entire night in the Northern Crater without any protective gear?

Reno: Let me guess. He used his mind to stay warm.

Sephiroth: No, he simply convinced the elements to leave him alone using his charm and charisma.

Zack: What? I had no idea I could do that!

Sephiroth: You're a force to be reckoned with.

Zack: :)

Angeal, overhearing: Sephiroth! Stop lying to people about Zack's conquests! He can't even open the fridge without shivering, you expect people to believe he survived in the north!?

Zack: >:(

*Kunsel comes up to Angeal and taps him on the shoulder*

Kunsel: Genesis is requesting a live trout and a thirty-eight thousand pounds of garlic.

Angeal: What on Gaia is this man planning to do with thirty-eight thousand pounds of garlic??

*Kunsel swings at Angeal but he ducks*

Angeal: LEAVE.

• Meanwhile, Cloud's career as a waiter continues to flourish.

*Cloud accidentally bumps into Tseng and spills soup on him*

Cloud: Oh! I'm such a klutz! I'll go get a towel!

*Cloud leaves, Zack rushes up to aid Tseng*

Zack: Man, that sucks. The soup isn't hot, is it?

Tseng: Surprisingly, it's cold. I have Genesis' poor cooking to thank for that.

*Cloud comes back and accidentally spills more wine on Tseng*

Cloud: Oh my gosh!

Tseng: WHERE'S THE TOWEL?

*Sephiroth approaches Lazard*

Sephiroth: Zack Fair is secretly the president of Shinra.

Lazard:

Sephiroth: He's the undercover mastermind behind all of this, an impressive feat for someone his age. This highlights both his competence and exceptional work ethic, further proving just how incredible Zack is

*Lazard feels his forehead to check if he's feverish*

Sephiroth: ?

Lazard: I worry about you sometimes, Sephiroth.

*Angeal walks by*

Angeal: More lies??

Sephiroth: I'm only doing the task you've set for me.

Angeal: Yeah, but—

*Kunsel taps him on the shoulder*

Kunsel: Genesis is requesting powdered bananas, thyme jelly, and a vat of chocobo fat.

*Angeal removes his shoe to throw it at Kunsel but Kunsel runs away first*

Angeal: COME BACK HERE *he runs after him*

*Sephiroth notices Lazard set his drink down and grab his coat*

Sephiroth: You're leaving?

Lazard: If there are drugs in the food, I want no part in the investigation

Sephiroth: Zack Fair conducted the investigation that lead to the discovery of harnessing Mako for energy.

Lazard: I promise you he did not.

• Cloud’s serving duties are going absolutely flawlessly. Every plate he balances is balanced effortlessly in his hands as he weaves through the crowd.

*Cloud accidentally trips and sends an entire platter of lasagna soaring through the air. It hits Tseng on the back of the head, knocking him out*

Cloud: Oh my god! I killed him!

*Angeal, Zack, Sephiroth and everyone else gather around to aid Tseng*

Angeal: This is bad! Cloud, go get the medical kit in the kitchen!

Cloud, nodding: I'll go get a towel!

Angeal: !?

Zack: Guys, he's not breathing!

Sephiroth: Zack Fair would never die in such a pathetic manner.

Angeal: Enough! Guys, focus, we need to help—

*Kunsel taps him on the shoulder*

Kunsel: Genesis is requesting an industrial concrete mixer.

Angeal: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS MAN COOKING!??

*Tseng wakes up*

Tseng: Everyone, please, calm down. I'm fine. Accidents happen.

*Cloud comes back and accidentally spills an entire jar of sauce on Tseng*

Tseng: THAT'S IT!

*Tseng flies at him. Cloud shrieks and takes off with Tseng chasing him around the apartment as people watch on in horror. Genesis chooses now, of all times, to appear*

Genesis: How's the food?

Angeal: Hey! HEY! What are you cooking that has Kunsel coming up to me every ten minutes requesting weird stuff?? What even is thyme jelly??

Sephiroth: That reminds me of the time Zack boosted morale among our ranks during a training session. He said it was 'thyme' to get started, using his witty humor and shining charisma to inspire joy.

*They ignore him*

Genesis: I haven't cooked a single dish all night.

Angeal: WHAT?

Genesis: I placed a catering order last week. I've been reading in the kitchen all night.

*Angeal flies at Genesis and also starts chasing him around the party*

Zack, watching Tseng chase Cloud and Angeal chase Genesis: Man, this dinner party ended up being a disaster. I shouldn't have even planned this stupid thing!

Sephiroth, on auto pilot: Zack Fair can move objects with his mind.

Zack: Nice! I had no idea I could do that.

Sephiroth: You’re amazing.

Zack: :)

[catboyidia]

what “holiday” cafe drinks/desserts i think asgzc would get:

angeal: he feels like a peppermint hot chocolate kind of dude, but add a shit load of espresso because the poor guy absolutely needs gallons of espresso to be able to put up with zack, genesis, and sephiroth on a daily basis (someone help that poor man)

genesis: IN THEORY he would absolutely be an apple cinnamon EVERYTHING kind of guy BUT not from any kind of cafe because he believes none of them can do it right! so he has to make it himself and he has been forbidden by the others to ever be allowed to order it again because it’s never good enough for him and it pisses him off, and every time they go to a new cafe and he orders an apple cinnamon anything he always spends the rest of the day critiquing every single little thing off about it, much to the rest of the guys annoyance because none of them want to hear genesis rant about a decently flavored cafe item just because it wasn’t up to his weird apple freak standards… so instead he is 100% one of THOSE pumpkin spice bitches! like the at the cafe the moment they release it kind of pumpkin spice bitch (but even though he likes it he still doesn’t think it’s as good as it should be and he can absolutely make it better but he doesn’t complain AS much)

sephiroth: every time he goes with the others he just lets them take turns ordering for him because he’s never had most of it before, but he never ends up with any strong opinions on any of the holiday items, and he never particularly loves any of them but he never complains about it or shows any distaste in any of it either, the only indication on how he feels about whatever has been ordered for him is that if it’s something he likes his pupils will dilate like a cats, although some of the more colorful treats tend to catch his eye, and if he had to rank the others orders on which he liked best it would probably go cloud (he likes the less sweet desserts), angeal (he likes the mint cocoa, but he prefers spearmint), genesis (he actually quite like the apple cinnamon but isnt fond of pumpkin spice), and zack (he doesn’t dislike it, but he prefers the others)

zack: he feels like he would get every overly sweet treat they sell and is probably an ultra sweet smores coffee drinker, except angeal has to go behind his back and tell the barista to make it decaf, not wanting to deal with a zack hopped up on tons of sugar AND caffeine, but then genesis goes behind angeal’s back and tells the barista to make it as highly caffeinated as possible

cloud: he would probably mainly just get a few of the less sweet holiday pastries and maybe a gingerbread hot cocoa/coffee if he had to get a drink, but he also lets the others order for him when he goes out with them just because he doesn’t want to cause too much trouble

[umbral-stigmata-unbound]

Possessive/Competetive Love Meme | Open

@hoshinierabareshimono asked: For Sephiroth to Genesis, "When it comes to you… I don’t like to share."

It wasn't the growing attention, however still like compared to the actions that should've earned it, that Genesis was getting from the masses outside that was unsettling Sephiroth. It wasn't even the attention from within that was twisting something up inside him. Despite the distance it drew at times, it also wasn't the independence Genesis was balancing out taking on assignments more and more, ones that were more often recorded properly rather than lopped together as a company-wide accomplishment and not his own.

No, it was the moments in which he noted how well he interacted with the likes of Kunsel, or Zack, or any others lower ranks that showed such an easy and deep level of respect and comradery. It was the way he found strange and varied ways to connect and interact with the likes of Turks, moreso Reno on occasion and Tseng far, far more often.

It was also very much the way in which he fell into any conversation, activity, or deep moment with Angeal. Those two understood things between one another like breathing, it seemed sometimes. Whether that was the true, he was not seeing clearly.

Instead, all he saw was how easy it was for Genesis to connect with others, to flow between the ties found around them. Was it jealousy over how many captured his attention? Or how much attention he captured? Was he jealous of Genesis for connecting in ways he couldn't, or for others for garnering Genesis attention so easily and in such different ways?

Perhaps it was just the ease, and how simple it seemed it might be for Genesis to...flit right on by, thriving, and leaving the singular silver figure behind in his wake.

He wasn't sure, he just knew at this moment, watching Genesis showing off his fine swordsmanship to a few new recruits in SOLDIER, Zack cheering him on at the edge, and Angeal in another training area occasionally casting a grin in his direction, Sephiroth felt as if every sense, every sensation in his body was on fire, burning and freezing and turning to vicious poison or acid. It pained him to see...

Every single eye was on Genesis, and in each gaze, Sephiroth saw looks of understanding, longing, claim--

Genesis was just finishing a few steps, explaining something when a firm hand gripped the red-heads elbow and began tugging him towards the VR training room. Sephiroth distantly heard a complaint and question from Genesis' voice, but he didn't register it clearly enough and gave it no recognition. The other man struggled against his hold, but finally they made it, Sephiroth tapped in a code, only muttered training loud enough for all others to hear, before shoving Genesis in and the doors shut behind them.

"What in Gaia's name has gotten into you?" Genesis spat, more annoyed with the brutish manhandling than anything else, but suddenly Sephiroth stepped up on him, cornering him against the wall, arms on either side of him planting on the wall, even with a blade in one of his hands. Genesis asked, body easing into the wall, as if his sensing were making sense of what was going on sooner than his mind as he asked, "Sephiroth, what are you...--?"

"When it comes to you, Genesis... I don't like to share."

His only explanation giving, before his lips were on the others, an arm winding around the red-heads waist to hold him close, as if this proximity would claim them completely.