#forfdorfsorf

[nautilusopus]

The Number I

Chapter 66: I am.

Here we are at the very last chapter (aside from the epilogue). I'll be posting that on the sixth anniversary of this fic (June 15th). Look forward to it! That said, I'm not putting author's notes on the epilogue's intro, so here we go one last time.

Thank you to: @fury-brand @terror-billie @tofucasserole @denebolaleo-ffwriter @voidrotted @shinjikari @cateringisalie @kaijudragon @farfromdaylight @kaasen @subdee @themateriodictable @auncyen Cat

and anyone else I've sought help from over the years that I've dragged into beta'ing. Thank you to @varethinsilico, @jenovacomplete, @waifujuju, @defiantinsect, @rosemochi, @death-rebirth-senshi, @yuquiitas, @spectroscopes, and frankly too many people to count for their emotional support.

Lastly, thank you, for reading. If I was writing this just for me, I wouldn't have written it out at all because I already know how the story goes; the fact that other people wanted to see this dumb pee joke that rapidly got so badly out of hand has been what's kept me going through all these years for the entirety of this massive undertaking. I have a couple short story oneshot side pieces planned for this universe for fun, but this was always intended as a complete story with a specific outline and endpoint since June of 2017 when I posted the chapter, and after 66 chapters and an epilogue and 6 versions of the outline, and not only is it finally over, but the act of ending it is something I never thought I'd have the privilege and burden of doing. Thank you again for being here.

Cloud hallucinates. Voices sometimes, or music – it’s hard to tell. It’s just another consequence of Jenova’s encroaching presence in his DNA, and four years after Meteorfall everyone’s more or less adapted to it and other oddities associated with being not quite human. Mostly.

What begins as a chance encounter with something that isn’t Jenova soon leads to a fight for survival that can no longer be contained in the spaces between numbers, as Cloud tries to keep himself together and finally put his past behind him.

[nautilusopus]

CREATING MEMES MAKES THE STORY GET WRITTEN FASTER

just a regular cloud moodboard, nothing to see here

[nautilusopus]

The Number I

Chapter 64: The Number I

Thank you to @fury-brand, @tofucasserole, and @terror-billie for making this chapter possible.

Cloud hallucinates. Voices sometimes, or music – it’s hard to tell. It’s just another consequence of Jenova’s encroaching presence in his DNA, and four years after Meteorfall everyone’s more or less adapted to it and other oddities associated with being not quite human. Mostly.

What begins as a chance encounter with something that isn’t Jenova soon leads to a fight for survival that can no longer be contained in the spaces between numbers, as Cloud tries to keep himself together and finally put his past behind him.

UPDATES EVERY OTHER MONDAY.

[nautilusopus]

Hello, what the fuck is going on in the FFVII fandom? (I’m not here to start shit, I’m just nosy)

do you mean the love triangle debate that's gone on for approaching 30 years that has only gotten worse, the endless salivating over how a couple sequels and some shameless gacha games including a battle royale clone that got shut down after six months "fixed" the original game by "making the characters nicer", the continued insistence that actually shinra is the good guys because the in-universe war criminals working for them are pretty and smol soft beans and the problems are just being caused by a Few Bad Apples, or the general open misogyny and lack of reading comprehension across the board

[nautilusopus]

@datflowrboi115 continuing this over here because it's actually a subject i'm legit interesting in but!!!

barring someone actually literally in the police force that's walking around with an iron cross tattoo (and even then, but we'll get to that), there's not really a substantial difference. disadvantaged kids can SUPER easily get suckered into propaganda and absolutely get chewed up by the system as a result, which cloud is basically the poster boy for

AND

it's worth noting that a lot of that is also how stuff like white supremacy takes root because that kind of propaganda is part and parcel tied into the recruiting process at times.

vii itself is a bit of an odd spot here because while sexism/homophobia et cetera certainly exist within the universe, there's actually not really any kind of notable racism, or at least not how it tends to express itself in american politics. most of the cultural stress comes from the fact that shinra has kind of colonised everyone and everything, less due to any racial motivation and more just because they're fully mask off profit first hypercapitalist.

Getting suckered into propaganda is very much drinking the kool-aid, as much as being an uneducated child that gets chewed up by the system. Believing Soldier is a force for good that would finally act as a reason for other people to like him is believing Shinra's propaganda about Soldier. It's the same act.

is cloud a fascist? obviously not lmao. but falling for the propaganda and believing the propaganda, which he did both of, is just the same thing. this is how people get sucked into this stuff. the guy was ABSOLUTELY a true believer right up until the moment when the guy he idolised burned his mother alive and stabbed him in the gut, and by then it was too late.

[nautilusopus]

yes you get it yes

everyone should read the number i by @nautilusopus it's a very good fic where nothing bad happens ever, i promise

[nautilusopus]

The Number I

Coda

A conclusion.

Cloud hallucinates. Voices sometimes, or music – it’s hard to tell. It’s just another consequence of Jenova’s encroaching presence in his DNA, and four years after Meteorfall everyone’s more or less adapted to it and other oddities associated with being not quite human. Mostly.

What begins as a chance encounter with something that isn’t Jenova soon leads to a fight for survival that can no longer be contained in the spaces between numbers, as Cloud tries to keep himself together and finally put his past behind him.

[nautilusopus]

The Number I

Chapter 61: If He’s Your Man Then Why Have I Gradually Replaced Parts of Him Until All Original Components Have Been Swapped Out?

god i missed the free dopamine i get when i manage to update on time

FANWORKS:

Here's a book cover-type thing that was made by @denebolaleo-ffwriter and @shinjikari that itself spawned from a shitpost, as most fanart for this thing (and in fact this story itself) did.

Also not so much an art but a playlist curated by Tai of a lot of very cool vibes and mood music. Once again, stoked someone even likes this thing enough to put something like this together. Very cool!

Thank you to the beta squad for doing your beta thing love you guys

Cloud hallucinates. Voices sometimes, or music – it’s hard to tell. It’s just another consequence of Jenova’s encroaching presence in his DNA, and four years after Meteorfall everyone’s more or less adapted to it and other oddities associated with being not quite human. Mostly.

What begins as a chance encounter with something that isn’t Jenova soon leads to a fight for survival that can no longer be contained in the spaces between numbers, as Cloud tries to keep himself together and finally put his past behind him.

UPDATES EVERY OTHER MONDAY.

[nautilusopus]

The Number I

Chapter 65: The Real Shrapnel Was Inside Us All Along

The next chapter is the last one (not counting the epilogue) and you have no fucking how hard I'm panicking right now.

Thank you to @fury-brand, @terror-billie, @tofucasserole, @shinjikari, @voidrotted, and @denebolaleo-ffwriter for bringing me through this home stretch. Could not have done it on my own.

Cloud hallucinates. Voices sometimes, or music – it’s hard to tell. It’s just another consequence of Jenova’s encroaching presence in his DNA, and four years after Meteorfall everyone’s more or less adapted to it and other oddities associated with being not quite human. Mostly.

What begins as a chance encounter with something that isn’t Jenova soon leads to a fight for survival that can no longer be contained in the spaces between numbers, as Cloud tries to keep himself together and finally put his past behind him.

UPDATES NEXT ON THE 12TH. STORY CONCLUDES ON JUNE 15TH.

[nautilusopus]

it is perfect and i am weeping tears of joy

@nautilusopus the number i updates never disappoint thank you so much

[nautilusopus]

The Number I

Chapter 63: PSYCHIC DOUBLE REACHAROUND

SORRY NOT SORRY

Advance prep hellchapter that caused massive hiatus: 3/4. No prizes for guessing what the last one will be...

Than you Datflowerboi115 for this high quality meme.

Thank you to @fury-brand, @tofucasserole, and @terror-billie for making this disaster possible.

Body horror. You know the drill.

Cloud hallucinates. Voices sometimes, or music – it’s hard to tell. It’s just another consequence of Jenova’s encroaching presence in his DNA, and four years after Meteorfall everyone’s more or less adapted to it and other oddities associated with being not quite human. Mostly.

What begins as a chance encounter with something that isn’t Jenova soon leads to a fight for survival that can no longer be contained in the spaces between numbers, as Cloud tries to keep himself together and finally put his past behind him.

UPDATES EVERY OTHER MONDAY.

[nautilusopus]

The Number I

Chapter 60: The Fabled Orgy Chapter Is Here at Last (Haha This Is False I Have Done a Joke Yet Again)

Motherfucker Of A Chapter To Write that I prepped years ago and then I just sat on it and now it's here oh god oh god oh god: 2/4. Not completely happy with it (frankly I think 55 turned out a hell of a lot cleaner and not just because it got its own point across way more succinctly), but then I'm never happy with these things. Them's the breaks!

Thank you to @fury-brand, @terror-billie, @tofucasserole, and @subdee, as well as @denebolaleo-ffwriter, @voidrotted, and @shinjikari for making this possible.

And also you should know that this chapter contains suicidal ideation, graphic depictions of self-harm and gore, and allusions to non-consensual sexual behaviour.

Cloud hallucinates. Voices sometimes, or music – it’s hard to tell. It’s just another consequence of Jenova’s encroaching presence in his DNA, and four years after Meteorfall everyone’s more or less adapted to it and other oddities associated with being not quite human. Mostly.

What begins as a chance encounter with something that isn’t Jenova soon leads to a fight for survival that can no longer be contained in the spaces between numbers, as Cloud tries to keep himself together and finally put his past behind him.

UPDATES EVERY OTHER MONDAY.

[nautilusopus]

The Number I

Chapter 62: No One in This Story Hydrates Enough for the Amount of Crying That Gets Done

Hi! I really hate this one and I feel like it was a lot of the holdup! However, it is DONE and frankly I haven't known what the fuck I've been doing since day one so...

Some trivia: This chapter is, chronologically, the very last thing written for TNI (most of the big important stuff, which is pretty much everything beyond this point, was prepped a long long long long time ago in advance). As such there's probably a bunch of typos in this one that I won't catch until two weeks later.

Thank you to the beta team for beta-ing this entire last leg of the story basically all at once.

Cloud hallucinates. Voices sometimes, or music – it’s hard to tell. It’s just another consequence of Jenova’s encroaching presence in his DNA, and four years after Meteorfall everyone’s more or less adapted to it and other oddities associated with being not quite human. Mostly.

What begins as a chance encounter with something that isn’t Jenova soon leads to a fight for survival that can no longer be contained in the spaces between numbers, as Cloud tries to keep himself together and finally put his past behind him.

UPDATES EVERY OTHER MONDAY.

[nautilusopus]

YOU'RE DOING GOD'S WORK THANK YOU

How has it taken me 24 years to discover this part of the game? Are you telling me I’m too good at submarines???

Anyway I will be intentionally failing the sub mission on every playthrough going forward, who needs Huge Materia when you can have a submarine dog.

[Image Description: A two-panel lineart comic featuring Cloud Strife, Yuffie Kisaragi, Vincent Valentine, and a dog. In the first panel, they stand on a catwalk leading to the submarine docks. Cloud is pointing dramatically at the dog and exclaiming “Shinra dog!! I’m gonna dognap you!!” Yuffie is pointing at Cloud as she throws a quizzical look at Vincent, and Vincent is shrugging.

In the second panel, Cloud holds the dog under his left arm as he leaps into the open hatch of a submarine. The dog has its tongue out, delighted. /end ID]

[nautilusopus]

The Number I

Chapter 58:ｎｕｌｌ　ｐｏｉｎｔ

Thank you so much to @fury-brand, @tofucasserole, and @terror-billie for betaing. Couldn't have gotten this far without you.

Cloud hallucinates. Voices sometimes, or music – it’s hard to tell. It’s just another consequence of Jenova’s encroaching presence in his DNA, and four years after Meteorfall everyone’s more or less adapted to it and other oddities associated with being not quite human. Mostly.

What begins as a chance encounter with something that isn’t Jenova soon leads to a fight for survival that can no longer be contained in the spaces between numbers, as Cloud tries to keep himself together and finally put his past behind him.

UPDATES EVERY OTHER MONDAY. PROBABLY. 

[nautilusopus]

The Number I

Chapter 57: Since Someone Asked Me Five Years Ago: No It Wasn't A Tom Holland Joke

WE'RE BACK! Hopefully for good this time until it is complete, more or less. Only 61, 62, 63, and 65 still need major portions of them to be written and then this monstrosity will be OVER and I will be FREE and I will have finally completed the process of giving you all irreparable brain damage.

Anyway, guests of honour in no particular order:

@aerithkinfaker read my fucking mind apparently and happened to create the exact image that popped into my head when I read this text post. Also immensely proud that my legacy is such that I am tagged with every popular post that mentions cannibalism (keep doing it I am touched).

@denebolaleo-ffwriter drew fanart of the opening scene of chapter 1! Genuinely spooky to consider how far this thing has come. I set up the whole outline for it back in June of 2017, sure but I figured best case scenario I'd make it maybe 10 chapters in and then get tired.

Speaking of chapter 1, Cloud actually getting to eat that kimchijeon, courtesy of @voidrotted, who actually remembered the canon lore that Cloud can't use chopsticks for shit.

voidrotted actually drew a lot of shit! another fucked up Tifa to add to the collection, Zack having a normal one, Sephiroth having an even more normal one. Love all of these so so so much.

Also they made some memes. Now this is a goddamn moodboard.

This one was anonymously submitted. thank you so fucking much to this loving rendition of the Boy Putty. If I was even worse about updating than I am I could post this in time for the anniversary of this fic, but I figure you guys would want a chapter more.

Lastly, this bit from @waifujuju who responded to my dumb little shitpost doodle with this incredible sketch of these extremely canon events.

Thank you to everyone that helped get this thing off the ground, including but not limited to @fury-brand, @terror-billie, @tofucasserole, and probably some other people I am forgetting because all of this was spaced out across the 11 remaining chapters as I scrambled to finish them all at once and I honest to god lost track of who was helping with what. If I left anything out here, either fanart or beta crediting, DO NOT BE SHY ABOUT MESSAGING ME SO I CAN GIVE YOU THE CREDIT YOU DESERVE.

heads up body horror and gore you guys know the drill by now

Cloud hallucinates. Voices sometimes, or music – it’s hard to tell. It’s just another consequence of Jenova’s encroaching presence in his DNA, and four years after Meteorfall everyone’s more or less adapted to it and other oddities associated with being not quite human. Mostly.

What begins as a chance encounter with something that isn’t Jenova soon leads to a fight for survival that can no longer be contained in the spaces between numbers, as Cloud tries to keep himself together and finally put his past behind him.

UPDATES EVERY OTHER MONDAY. PROBABLY.