#ask-zack-and-cloud

[rocketbirdie]

shooting her shot

[thirstywaffles]

You can depend on me

[featherfangart]

This time... ... I will never let you go

[pine-needle-shuffle]

cursed by visions mid workday. I persist regardless

inspired by @rocketbirdie's work

[salternateunreality2]

I firmly believe that Cloud isn't the wolf on all his gear; that's Zack.

Fenrir is Zack, carrying him and fighting like Zack did, fast and rugged, a beast with stamina and grit.

His piercing is Zack, so he can be with him everywhere, a weight on his ear like how Zack used to chatter to fill the silence, a sweet golden retriever puppy with very sharp teeth for those who would hurt Cloud.

His pauldron is Zack, protecting him and holding up the cloak that covers Cloud's geostigma, safeguarding him and protecting his sick, hypersensitive body, keeping him warm and safe from harm.

[altocat]

FF7 but Nibelhiem is southern for no reason

Cloud speaks like completely normal trooper but the second they enter Nibelheim, his southern accent comes out full force. Sephiroth, by virtue of his Nibelheim roots, is immediately overtaken as well. Oops.

Sephiroth: "So how does it feel? To be home after all this time?"

Cloud (in an unnaturally deep voice, cowboy hat slanted over his eyes): "This ole town just ain't what it used to be, I tell y'hwat."

Zack: "...How come you're talking like that, bud?"

Cloud: "I tell yeh, we're one ole rodeo short of a real cattle drive.

Zack: "...Uh?"

Cloud: "Ma'll pitch a real fit when she sees me. I reckon I've been out longer than a sinner n Vegas."

Zack: "....what's 'Vegas'? Sephiroth can you make sense of--"

[Sephiroth is dressed in flannel, chewing on a piece of wheat while he stares pensively out into the sunset]

Sephiroth: "I reckon we're a couple o' outcasts 'round these parts. No place for a couple of ole cowpokes like us. That there sunfall yonder's a might perfect metaphor. Man gets lost dwellin' on th'past. It creeps on yeh. One man's dawn is 'nother man's sunset. An' this here mission's the tip of the--"

Zack: "IS EVERYONE STONED?"

Genesis: "HoWdY~"

[schroedingerskhoshekh]

I think in VII remake, it's so telling that the first person Cloud warms up to and likes way more than most other people is a big guy who's extremely eager and silly and wants to do good

Bro literally saw Wedge and was like "ah Zack 2.0"

The parallels between Wedge and Zack are so surprisingly strong that it's no wonder Cloud was drawn to both of them

[queernoctis]

the firsts wearing seifuku (+zc if u want :3) who wears what length of skirt?

fantastic ask, anon, thank you. i hope you enjoy my thoughts.

bonus zakkura where i accidentally made them like colorswapped persona yuri

[foreststarflaime]

Crack au where exposure to mako stunts growth in children and young adults

Just a dad, 2 moms, and their 4 children who are all older than them 🥰

Size comparison with a normal sized ant

[yingxtkm]

I’m sure y’all are tired of the string worm saga so I had to end it off with a plot twist.

[c-o-t-o]

Your writing of Zack and Cloud's date ideas was sooooo cute! Do you think they'd get jealous of you talking to other guys, assuming they had a crush on you?

Thank you so much!! I actually love comparing these two because I feel like their personalities really are so opposite. If they had crushes on you and saw you being friendly with other guys they'd 100% get jealous.

Cloud would probably be really pouty about it but try to pretend nothing is wrong. It would be written all over his face that he's bothered by it, but the second you ask him what's wrong, he'll say it's nothing and try to do something to distract himself. He'll stay relatively quiet about it, but inside, it's all he can think about. Eventually he'll shyly murmur it out, that he wishes you'd talk to him as much as the other guys. Eventually Cloud would have no choice but to admit that he likes spending time with you, trying to convey his message without entirely confessing to you just yet. But the second you catch on and start to probe him, he'll say "never mind" becoming too bashful, walking away so you don't see him blushing.

Zack would make it SO obvious that he's jealous, and pretty outwardly. He'll try to make a joke of it, saying that you must really like those other guys to be talking to them so much. And have a "what's so great about them when you've got me!" approach to talking about it. He'll go out of his way to make sure you're always seeing him do stuff like working out or fighting in the combat simulator, cracking jokes with others as you walk by to show he can be funny... showing off, basically. But Zack will be real with you at the end of it all and would probably end up confessing to some extent because he wants you to know he really likes you and wants to spend more time with you. And then joke again about how the other guys there aren't that great, anyway.

[rocketbirdie]

so close yet so far

[prismaticpichu]

AGSCZ got to an aquarium and then to a boat whale sighting ride where they see the whales jumping out from the water. I love blue whales-

Shshshs this is too cute!! 💙 🐋 Whales rule!!!

~

On the whale watching trip!~

Angeal: Has his camera out the entire time, experiencing the day through the lenses of either his favorite Kodak or binoculars. Accidentally takes at least fifteen photos of trash in the water instead of whale fins—then proceeds to actually miss a whale as he’s causally changing the battery card.

Genesis: Falls asleep on the boat, basking in the sun, not too interested in the art of whale watching. He’s abruptly woken up when a whale DOES breach, finding himself point-blank in the splash zone. No one bothered to move him??!! SERIOUSLY??!!!

Sephiroth:

Outwardly: Mmn… what a fascinating cetacean.

Inwardly: LOOK!!! HE’S MAKING A RAINBOW WITH HIS BLOWHOLE 🌈 🌈🌈🌈 (=^･ω･^=)

Zack: Passes the time by practicing his whale calls; Genesis throws a sandwich at him. Also proceeds to jump on the whale’s back after a particularly large one breaches, shouting in pure bliss, “YEEEEHAWWW!! I’MA HUMPZACK WHALE….!!!”

Cloud: Poor cadet spends most of the trip extremely seasick :,(

[pine-needle-shuffle]

Doodle request : Zack ruffling Cloud's hair

Absolutely! Think Cloud just got off shift for the day.

[salternateunreality2]

AGSZC play monopoly, which game pieces do they choose and does anyone win or do they all lose?

Genesis: THE HORSE IS MINE IT'S ALWAYS MINE GIVE IT TO ME *SNATCHES* (note: no one else was even near the board)

Cloud: *hands the dog to Zack*

Zack: Oh you think you're real funny, dontcha? Hehehe, well you are. I'M THE DOG!

Angeal: Puppy, volume.

Zack: I'M THE PUPPY!

Sephiroth: *picks up the cannon* I am but a weapon, a tool in the-

Cloud: *snatches it from him, gives him the boot* You need shoes that aren't stripper boots. You'll disappoint your mother at this rate.

Sephiroth: *not sure whether to pout or be pleased*

Cloud: *takes the car. Shut up, it's cool and he likes machines. And he's cool.*

Angeal: *takes the wheelbarrow* I remember our old wheelbarrow in Banora...barely held together with a prayer and-

Genesis: I'M ROLLING FIRST IT'S MY TURN!

---------

Angeal plays defensively...meaning he buys nothing. He's saving up. This is fine, this is how you survive in the world, by being cautious and smart. He is the first to go bankrupt.

Zack makes his choices based on what looks or sounds cool at the moment.

Genesis brags about being a wise investor and proceeds to be an aggressive land shark, buying every property he lands on.

Cloud keeps landing on spots that make him pay taxes or draw cards that send him to jail.

Sephiroth goes to jail to keep Cloud company and Cloud tries to explain that's not how the game is played, but Sephiroth prefers to follow Cloud around like a shadow. Everyone else is too busy squabbling (Zack and Genesis) or sweating (Angeal) to notice or care.

Zack's "fuck it we ball" strategy starts working too well, and even though Genesis has amassed a great number of hotels and properties, Zack somehow got all the good ones AND everyone keeps landing on them and not Genesis'.

When it becomes evident Zack will win, Genesis explodes, firagas the board, and storms out.

Angeal passes out from the stress of his last dollar catching fire.

Zack tries to put out the fire by flapping a blanket at it because you put out candles by blowing on them, so bigger fire = more air, obvs. This only fans the flames (literally).

Sephiroth looks at the fire like a cat at a Christmas tree.

Cloud has to step up, throw the iron at Zack's head to knock him out, smother the fire, and bodily drag three giant soldiers twice his size away from the carnage while cursing Genesis.

Lazard is in his office chasing aspirin with tequila, watching the security cameras.

----------

Tl;Dr -

Genesis - horse, because he's the hero

Zack - puppy

Angeal - wheelbarrow for gardening

Sephiroth - shoe

Cloud - car

Nobody wins except Sephiroth, who had a great time.

[altocat]

It's also incredibly interesting to me that while Genesis, Zack, Cloud, and Angeal all have desires and aspirations strictly related to glory, status, or recognition within Shinra/SOLDIER, Sephiroth's desires are completely different. If anything, his needs are childishly basic. Needs that should have been fulfilled all the way back during his infancy.

Cloud: Making Soldier First-Class/Becoming an elite warrior

Angeal: Achieving the dreams and honor of a worthy soldier

Genesis: Fame/Recognition for talents within SOLDIER/as a fighter

Zack: Combo of everyone above

Sephiroth: M̴̰͎̮̹͓̩̜̖̅̏͐́̓͋̀̑͂̚Ơ̴̤̖͙͚̰͇̟̣͇̽̈́̄ͅM̸̙̗̞͔̜̍̽̑͗͆̔̎̈́̈͆̑͜M̴̬̼̱̗̮̗̥̠͓̼̥͎̄͑̏̂̈́̉̅͝Ỵ̶̔̃̍̂̽͒͒͊̃́̈́͝͝͠