#genesis fell because of sephiroth

[getvalentined]

One set of wings. Complete, but only together.

[lucky-ladybugs-lovelies]

Watching the wonderful Advent Children this morning, I was hit by something absolutely heartbreaking and devastating. This famous exchange between Sephiroth and Cloud inspired the train of thought:

Sephiroth: Tell me what you cherish most. Give me the pleasure of taking it away.

Cloud: I pity you. You just don’t get it at all. There’s nothing in this world I don’t cherish!

But … the sane Sephiroth did get it. He knew what it was to love. He had people he cared about very deeply. They all left him.

When he lost his mind at Nibelheim, no one fought for him. No one tried to get him back. No one believed it was even possible. Zack at least acknowledged something was horribly wrong when he said, “No! You’re not the Sephiroth I knew!” But then, as near as I can tell, he didn’t fight for Sephiroth either. He just “accepted” Sephiroth was a lost cause.

(In Zack’s defense, he’d struggled so hard to get Angeal back and couldn’t. After seeing what happened to both Angeal and Genesis, seeing Sephiroth fall too was probably the final blow and he just lost hope.)

Now, I would like to think that Zack did at least try. During their fight in Crisis Core, you’re actually playing it out, so there’s no talking between them. (I don’t think? I haven’t got that far and I’m dreading it for sure.) But during the actual fight as it would have happened, I want to believe he did try. It would frankly be OOC for Zack not to try, when he never stopped fighting for Angeal.

However, regardless of what one wants to headcanon in there, as far as actual canon shows us, everyone gave up on Sephiroth.

And honestly? I believe that if someone really did fight and fight and fight for him, as shown in @prismaticpichu ’s amazing fic Candle in the Rain , they could have saved him. Sephiroth kept it together far better than Angeal or Genesis did, and yet in the end he fell harder than they did. But he was shown to have loved deeply and desperately. I feel like he needed love more than they did because of his horrible upbringing. He was love starved. That was likely a lot of why Jenova was able to get her claws in him so much; she was filling that void of the lack of parental love that he wanted and needed. And I fully believe real, true love could have reached him and broken that hold.

But no one gave him that chance.

[rottenpumpkin13]

There's a fire at Shinra building in the middle of the night, what is everyone wearing/how do they look as they evacuate?

Genesis: Red silk pajamas, an eye mask around his head, and a black silk robe draped over him as he drags two suit cases filled with books because "I refuse to let the fire burn my collection"

Zack: Stamp-themed pajama pants, a hoodie he stole from Angeal, and the ">:(" expression because he was woken up by the fire alarm only 15 minutes after he crashed after a night of gaming.

Angeal: Gray sweatpants, a tank top he only put on so he wouldn't be half-dressed, and flip flops that go fwip fwap fwip fwap as he paces around nervously, trying to do a headcount.

Cloud: He got out of bed so fast he barely had time to get dressed before the sergeant was shoving them out the door. He's just glad he's wearing regular sweat pants and a regular white t-shirt. *Cloud has failed to notice that his shirt is on backwards, and has the Silver Elite logo under Sephiroth's face on full display

Kunsel: People are confused as to why Kunsel is wearing pajamas and the SOLDIER regulation helmet, but they're too scared to ask.

Sephiroth: Sephiroth is wearing his uniform.

Lazard, seeing Sephiroth in uniform: Ah, do you guys see this? See? Sephiroth is an example to be followed. He is the only SOLDIER who bothered to get into uniform before being seen in public. His efficiency is commendable and you are all a disgrace to the SOLDIER name.

Sephiroth: Actually, I fell asleep in my office yesterday and was woken up by the fire alarm just now.

Lazard:

Sephiroth: I thought the world was ending.

[ilminnestrone]

Angeal Hewley.

Angeal Hewley, the child who learnt too early that things like money, toys and food are scarce commodities. That if you buy that fabulous wooden sword from the carpenter, you might not have the money to buy bread. That if you eat more than one slice of said bread with your dinner, you might have to skip breakfast tomorrow. Whose father taught him that values like loyalty, respectability and honour are also scarce commodities that you can't afford to diminish or lose, because they're not easily earned back.

Angeal Hewley, the boy who soon learnt that health and time are scarce commodities too, when the same father fell ill in order to buy something beautiful, powerful and ultimately superfluous to make him happy: an equal exchange, a life for a life-taker, a death for an instrument of death. Happiness, however, was not part of the deal. Tears, however, he used all of them, and never cried again.

So Angeal Hewley, the young man, began to think that everything around him was a scarce commodity. Opportunities and failures. Victories and losses. Friends and foes. Leaving for Midgar meant holding on to the scarce commodity that was Genesis; joining the army, not losing the privilege of his time. Missions were a way out of poverty. Returning victorious was a way out of dishonour.

But he couldn't afford to waste even his days off sleeping in and lazing around. Every free minute was hoarded for the lean times. Every hobby was a way of saving for later: cooking a meal in advance for the bad days when even chewing seemed an insurmountable obstacle; growing plants so that when the time came for them to bloom, there would be something pretty to look at; taking a photograph to remember happy moments when in times of misery.

He couldn't waste kisses on people he'd never see again. Pleasure was a scarse commodity too, lovers just another beautiful thing not to be overused for fear of rusting or scratching them: the rare times, their satisfaction came first, and he was happy with the leftovers, as if it were impossible to enjoy both equally. “Live a little,” someone told him, while he was still buried inside them; but what if he had wasted a little life in doing so?

Angeal Hewley, the man who wondered if love was a scarce commodity when he discovered there were two men he wanted by his side. Who wondered again as he became more father than teacher to a boy too young to play in the war. That he was certain that innocence surely is, when he saw him kill for the first time and saw him realise that it was anything but a game.

Angeal Hewley, who would discover that unspoken words cannot be saved for later. Who  hoped to the last that even pain was a scarce commodity, as he watched the man he had grown up with rotting before his eyes, and the mind of the only other companion he had ever had fading day by day: the day he realised that his body and mind were degrading, he hoped that his suffering might lessen that of Genesis and Sephiroth. Who prayed that death itself was a scarce commodity, when he asked Zack to kill him, and that his sacrifice might spare that of others.

It turns out that if there is one thing that is by no means a scarce commodity, it is the greed of the masters.

[silverflqmes]

agszc and the flowers they'd give as well as why they would give them?

໒⦂ 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄.

notes. hey queen, my knowledge in flowers is baby level but!!! we’re gonna see which flowers the boys would give based on themselves and their love<3

genre. fluff

for @melukonova <3

ft. sephiroth, cloud strife, zack fair, genesis rhapsodos, angeal hewley

gender neutral! reader.

ะ ྂ ❤︎ . ˚˖ you selected.. orchid.

+ reasoning. orchids come in a variety of symbols next to the obvious luxury and beauty, such as strength, mystery — even charm and refinement. more importantly, they bring across how lucky you are to be able to love your special someone.

+ sephiroth had always thought himself to be deplorable for as long as he could remember. growing up, he had countless reminders of how unloveable he was even in spite of shinra’s hero treatment of him. when he met you, however, somehow you had brought this ray of light into his suffocating darkness and had loved him in spite of everything. he was just so lucky to have you in his life — it was imperative he showed you his gratitude. and so, from the many books he read in his days, he’d decided that gifting your orchids was the best way.

+ “it took awhile to find you these, given the state of midgar.. but the search was worth the while. as i recall.. lovers gift one another flowers as an expression of affection, do they not?”

ะ ྂ ❤︎ . ˚˖ you selected.. gardenia.

+ reasoning. gardenia is the type of flower you would use to confess when the words don’t quite reach your lips. basically, an unspoken confession to convey your love. furthermore, it represents purity and expresses beauty towards the receiver.

+ cloud strife.. was never really the best with words, feelings and emotional expression. he preferred to think of himself as an actions kind of guy, and his confession to you boiled down to exactly that. with all the worst behind him, and the whisper of advice from his parted friends, he would have set out one morning to sector five to purchase a few gardenias. flowers and their meanings didn’t come easy to him, but the words he’d received told him these were the ones. the blond’s only hope was that his message would be received and returned.

+ “here, got these for you on the way back from my delivery, they’re um.. gardenias. make sure to change their water every other day or so, if you want them to last, of course..”

ะ ྂ ❤︎ . ˚˖ you selected.. daisy.

+ reasoning. daisies represent an innocent, cheerful and pure form of love. the kind of flowers you would pick fresh from the garden or a patch of grass to bring to the person you cherish most. they can also express true love, beauty and simplicity.

+ zack fair was true to his nickname — a puppy. despite his want for leaving the countryside to join SOLDIER, the days he would spend back home were all filled with memories that he would forever carry with him. a few that stood out most were the times he’d race up to you with a handful of daisies. despite their messy condition, and the apology he would laugh out for tripping on his way to you, his actions are filled with sincerity and love.. even if zack might not know what he’s given to you. with time, however, he will have realized the depth of his gifts.

+ “ahaha, sorry y/n! i didn’t see this rock on my way over, and i might have ruined the flowers a bit.. but they still smell nice! and i tried to salvage the good ones, y’see! peak condition!”

ะ ྂ ❤︎ . ˚˖ you selected.. aster.

+ reasoning. asters, according to myth were associated with a goddess that wept because there weren’t enough stars. the tears that fell became the star shaped flowers we call asters. on the contrary, they symbolize love, charm and sensitivity.

+ genesis rhapsodos — born poet, forced to soldier. flowers and their meanings didn’t fall far from the tree for a man with vast knowledge of the arts, literature and beauty. as someone with a keen interest in loveless, having analyzed and noted it to memory, asters came to be his first choice in conveying his love for you. the gift of the goddess, he would have concluded, and a perfect fit for the one who has captured his heart — you. and so, on his way back from a mission, a singular aster would have occupied his red, gloved hand as he presented it to you.

+ “a gift from the goddess for my beloved.. as flowers have long since disappeared off the face of midgar, amidst the filth and industrialization. are you pleased with my findings?”

ะ ྂ ❤︎ . ˚˖ you selected.. alstroemeria.

+ reasoning. alstroemerias convey loyalty, devotion, support and.. honor. the type of flower you give to remind someone of their strength when they fall on hard times. but, it is also said that receiving an extra sweet one, meant you were beloved.

+ angeal hewley wasn’t exactly one for frivolous love, a stark contrast otherwise, to his friend. the romance department just never really called his attention.. well, at least until he met you. somehow you sparked feelings in him that he wasn’t sure he was even capable of feeling strongly towards another person. it was strange, different.. but a good kind of different. however there was a downside — that being his lack of experience. his familiarity with romance was minimal, but he was determined to provide! and with outside help, he was acquired flowers.

+ “these are alstroemerias.. a mouthful, i know. but they used to grow back where i grew up, in banora. they said the sweeter ones are best to gift to your beloved — so here you are.”

notes. several hours of research and inconsistent writing later, i was able to finish your request.. love how NOBODY had roses but like anyway, this is the end results for agszc with flowers woop

↳ return to main masterlist . request rules . send an ask

[ariseur]

hey again 👀 soooo you said i should send another ask if i had an idea and diva you said that to the wrong person. i have too many lmao

im stressing that u should write this at your own time! no rush :)

but yeah im actually writing a longform seph/reader fic where the reader is from a southern/appalachian coded town near gongaga. my idea id love to have your spin on is a scene where sephiroth (someone raised on protein powder and spinach probably) gets to try some real southern comfort food that the reader makes for him :). im talking biscuits, fried chicken, some kind of creamy noodle dish, just all the unhealthy savory goodness

he deserves it 🥺

ty for the last request again btw✨💕

“ spread kisses like honey. ”

sephiroth (ffvii) x reader

┊ ˚➶ notes ｡˚ 🎼

omg this has been sitting in my drafts sooo long!! this was really cute and i loved writing it, it reminded me of lucy gray and coriolanus snow from hg hence why i put the title as a lyric from her ballad 💕 always look forward to your requests!! thank you againnn!!

┊ ˚➶ warnings ｡˚ 🎼

you and seph being sickly sweet towards each other, sephiroth being utterly in love with you in his inner monologue, kind of not canon because there are moments where i mention how sephiroth talks to genesis and angeal despite knowing zack and interacting with zack ( which like clashes with the entire point of cc .. but shhh i wanted domesticity ), intended lowercase, lmk if i missed anything!! 💕

┊ ˚➶ word count ｡˚ 🎼

1088 words, 5905 characters

. ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄

“you’ve never had this?” you gasped dramatically, your shocked face only to be met with sephiroth’s stoic one. he hesitantly nodded— was that.. a bad thing? did he somehow offend you in some way? the steam that had emitted from the plates below you set on the

“don’t you like pasta?” you asked, still utterly baffled.

he nodded slowly, “is something wrong?” he didn’t understand the confusion. there were a lot of foods he hasn’t tried, isn’t that normal for everyone? you blinked owlishly, lifting up the fork with the pasta noodles stabbed against the metal, the creamy sauce departing from the food in small, slow drips.

“what have you been eating if you’ve never had something as delicious as this?” you muttered, your lips reverting back into a tight ‘o’ as you blew on the fork— before finally slipping it into your mouth. “i’m shocked.” words muffled as you still chewed on your food, at least covering your mouth while you spoke.

sephiroth chuckled amusedly, “we’ve grown up in deeply contrasting places.” he crossed his arms against his chest, watching as you slurped up the pasta with stars in your eyes— occasionally opening your mouth to let the heat escape, soft steam pouring out from the small gap you’ve left while chewing. “still,” said you, “‘s so good.” he could barely make out your voice from how full your mouth was but he still shook his head as he leaned further back in his chair.

closing his eyes, he tilted his head down while he let the strands of snowy hair fell and covered bits of his face, blocking the bright sun even to the darkness beneath his eyelids. sephiroth didn’t pay much mind to the fact that your loud chewing of garlic bread and slurping of buttered food had come to a halt until he felt a strong aroma slip in from under his nostrils, it was only then did he open his eyes to see you holding the fork to his lips.

you held an expectant gaze and he quirked a brow before ultimately leaning forward while he let his eyes rake over the food. it looked a little messy, the sauce dripping over the place as you had ripped a piece of garlic bread off along with it and placed a chunk on the metal twinges of the utensil. he looked up again at you, waiting as you nodded your head and tried to keep your excitement contained. he blew on the fork a little bit before opening his mouth and letting it settle upon the steel. what could one bite do, he asked himself.

but once he had finally tried it, he could’ve dropped dead right then and there. the combination of the salty and savory flavors was perfect, and the way the bread had soaked some of it up too was incredible. sephiroth closed his eyes, letting his jaw work as he let his taste buds be blessed with what was known as your cooking. he had always seen you working your way through the kitchen, using various pots and pans and oils while you zipped around — and when sephiroth had offered help, you simply put a hand up and looked up at him for a split second, trying to simultaneously get the perfect roast as you smiled at him sweetly. that was enough for him.

despite watching you cook a lot ( and the only times he did get to help, he ended up being ordered by you to stand in the corner or measure occasional ingredients ), he had never actually savored something as good as this. being a first class prevented him from doing any good when it came to dinner time, either the timing being too late and you had already gone to bed or you were too tired and he decided not to bother you and he ate something small.

but this, he thought, this was perfection. when it came to you, sephiroth never let his appreciation go silent as he would always thank you or give you sayings of endearment and encouragement. he didn’t have words for this dish, he had never tried anything like it. so in awe, he merely said, “you’ve truly outdone yourself,” as he handed you back the fork. you didn’t mind the simple compliment. it never sounded generic to you when sephiroth would express his gratitude, even when they were mumbled in passing with dragged feet when he had come home from an exasperatingly tiring job, he always made sure to tell you how much he was grateful for you and what you do when he’s away.

he couldn’t wait until he was back at hq to boast to genesis and angeal about how delectable your cooking was. maybe zack, too — although sepiroth had a feeling that the energetic SOLDIER might just end up begging you for food even more. not that you minded, though. you were always so kind, sephiroth didn’t know how you were always able to do it.

“thanks.” you chimed, your voice ever so warm that it made his heart flutter. sephiroth wasn’t exactly what you’d call — expressive. he always held a smooth, cool tone of voice and occasionally threw a sassy remark towards you or genesis, or even that kid zack fair he introduced you to. but you understood his inflection of which he spoke in, you could tell his emotion even when he had entered a room ( and vice versa ). you were one of the most cherished things in sephiroth’s life and it could not go unnoticed.

with his tongue peeking out from between his bottom lip to gather some of the residual flavor that was left behind, his eyes roamed across the table further to more so further treasure your sacrifices ( of both time and food ).

“what’s that over there?” he lifted a finger, almost perfectly manicured despite using his hands excessively in battle, to point over at a small white dish filled with elbow macaroni and a homemade cheese sauce. you turned your head and grinned, reaching over the wooden dining table to grab it and lower the bowl on its side to reveal the contents. “mac ‘n’ cheese,” you replied, “want some?” your eyes seemed to glimmer with more amusement. sephiroth had now developed a new interest in your food and he couldn’t wait to indulge in it.

with the smile and those eyes of yours, how could he say no to one more bite?

𐙚 taglist ; @snoopicle

𐙚 requests are closed — june tenth, 2024

[altocat]

You keep saying that Sephiroth loved Angeal and Genesis but there's no evidence for that. Yeah they were friends but really that's all it ever was. Sephiroth isn't the type of person who loves anyone I don't even think he's capable because of Hojo raising him.

Sooo the man who

Canonically latches onto people to form his emotional identity

Wants to protect and save his men at his own expense

Offered to be a blood donor

Was unhappy when he COULDN'T be the blood donor

Starved himself from stress

Literally won't shut up about his friends

Becomes visibly upset when talking about his friends

Committed covert treason to protect them

Stood around in the rain calling them

Was about to leave Shinra because of them

Fell apart from a combination of them leaving/them hurting him in Nibelheim

Spends pretty much every waking moment of his onscreen adult life fretting over them/associating himself with them

... wasn't capable of love/didn't love his friends. I'm sorry, buddy. The math ain't mathing.

[foreststarflaime]

Brainrotting about the nuance of the Am I a Monster dilemma in Crisis Core again (sorry if any of this is rambling I have been awake for over 20 hours on 4 hours of sleep bc my brain is stupid and refuses to let me get adequate sleep)

I find it’s somewhat easy to forget about the literal definition of the word in this context, at least for me because I want these idiots to stop self-destructing and live happy lives—but in older cultures especially (and here I’ll talk from the Ancient Greek side of things bc it’s what I’m most familiar with) the definition of monster is very literally just something that goes against the natural order of things, usually hybrids of different animals smashed together, like a chimera being a lion, goat, and snake in one body or a sphynx being a winged lion-woman. And in that sense, it’s unavoidable that they are right in calling themselves monsters.

But when the word monster gets brought up in a moral sense, in the context of what it means to be human, as we see so often these days (not saying no ancient authors ever did this or vice versa, it’s just more prevalent in more modern times from what comes to mind immediately for me), it’s not about the literal, it’s about the metaphorical, about the choices you make and how you choose to live your life. And in this sense (at least before their respective insanity arcs) they aren’t really monsters, they’re just people trying their best.

And I love how this duality plays out when each of them find out about the horrific experiments that have been done on them and the crisis starts.

Starting with Genesis—his is a character very connected to the first definition of monster, considering his love of Loveless, which seems to be an ancient epic of the cultural kind of the Iliad or the Odyssey (plus, as I’ve mentioned before, his last name in Greek literally means singer of epic poetry). So, if the Greek definition is foremost in his mind, it does make sense that he can’t shake the thought that he is a monster and have a mental breakdown as such. It makes sense that he fell first.

Then we have Angeal, also more closely tied to the first definition of monster, if we look at it in the older vs newer way—he’s a character very tied to tradition and honor, so it would make sense. Plus if you don’t buy that, then there’s the fact that he’s known Genesis all his life, so at least some of his thinking had to have worn off on him at some point. He also wouldn’t be able to shake the thought that he isn’t really entirely human, and of course he’d be bothered by it, having tied his worldview so tightly to upholding human morals and values—it makes sense he fell as hard as he did.

Now, saving Sephiroth for a bit longer, let’s look at Zack’s reaction to all of this. He definitely sees this dilemma from the point of view of the second definition of monster, as we see blatantly in the writing—see “SOLDIER doesn’t mean monster”, etc. He’s the youngest, the puppy, the idealist loyal to his friends until the end. He tries to impart this onto his friends, and although they do understand this on some level, it’s not enough to overpower the other definition of a monster in their minds, and therein lies the tragedy.

And then with Sephiroth, to exacerbate the tragedy of what he could have become even further, he’s pretty evenly tied to both definitions. He has distinctly inhuman features, which would bring the literal definition of monster to his mind, and his ‘mother’ is a 2000 year old alien. So no, he’s not entirely human, not literally anyways. But he’s also so, so human in all the ways that matter, at least before he went insane, and I think he’s aware of this too, at least enough to hold on to the desperate hope that this is true, and that having just a little bit of compassion makes the difference. But in Nibelheim, the weights keep dropping in the literally-a-monster side of the scale, and he judges himself unworthy, and the rest is history.

[prismaticpichu]

Genesis’s Kindest Deeds ❤️

• Considering trashing all his outgrown clothes when going through his wardrobe, but then deciding to donate them instead

• Has a habit of holding the “door open” button on an elevator for at least 10 seconds to make sure no one else needs to enter

• ALWAYS leave a 20% tip (plus a smiley face and “thank you :)” but don’t tell anyone else)

• Taking Zack to the infirmary when he felt sick and Angeal wasn’t around

• Picking up 30 wrappers while on a walk one day and throwing them out

• Tying Zack’s shoes when he couldn’t bend down from over-squatting

• Massaging Seph after a stressful day

• Offering to cook dinner instead of Angeal after a stressful day

• Standing in line at a coffee shop, overhearing that the person in front of him forgot his wallet, and offering to pay for him. He even bought his kid a sprinkled sugar cookie <3

• Putting little sticky notes on the pages of catalogs that he thinks Seph will like best

• Canceling all his plans one day to attend a meeting with Sephiroth, knowing Angeal was on a mission and his best friend was astronomically anxious. He squeezed his hand under the table some time during it and whispered that everything was going to be alright.

Angeal’s Kindest Deeds 💜

• Making peppermint and ginger tea for Sephiroth & Genesis when they both fell ill (it was Genesis’s fault for the record- man kept trying to adjust the blankets on Sephiroth when he thought he wasn’t warm enough, and eventually caught his cold)

• Attending at least 55 Loveless performances with his friend

• Telling Genesis to read him Loveless lines when the auburn appeared down

• Telling Sephiroth to name the periodic table alphabetically for him when the man seemed down (see this is very exciting to some people)

• “Losing” several arm wrestling competitions to Zack to boost his pup’s self-esteem one day when the boy was down

• Volunteering at the local pet shop/animal shelter

• Delivering home-cooked meals to the orphanage in the slums

• Adding decorative plants to every floor of the ShinRa building

• Buying Sephiroth an aromatherapy bracelet to help with stress

• Walking 50 minutes out in the pouring rain to pick up Zack at a restaurant because he forgot an umbrella

• Adopting a small, hyper Third as his own when no other SOLDIER was willing to show him the ropes

Sephiroth’s Kindest Deeds 💚

• Went to the slums one afternoon for a monster extermination mission; left with 500 Gil given to children he saw living in impoverished conditions

• Found a stray, wounded cat in the street and took it to the animal shelter; endured several scratches along the way, but never did he leave the poor animal to fend for itself

• Allowed Zack to hold Masamune—one of his prized, protected possessions—knowing it would make the boy’s (and Angeal’s) day

• Stitching Zack’s clothes back together after a violet mission left a tear—and before the boy would receive an earful from Angeal about being responsible.

• “Losing” to Genesis one spar when the auburn was having a particularly rough day

• Constantly buying books for Genesis so he never runs out of material to read (always having at least two ready for him while he’s in a current book)

• Offering to donate his blood to save his treasured friend, despite years of being tested from Hojo leaving him horrified of needles

[professional-sephiroth-scrungler]

Holy shit i think im stupid. Im rewatching CC Reunion for fic stuff and it just fucking hit me why Zack sets up the deranged scene at the end of the game of having genesis on one side of cloud and director lazard’s body (also an angeal copy) on the other. Ig not “set up” but fhjdjeiw

He gives Genesis and Cloud a dumbapple and says “Sorry I’m not the real thing but…” then eats the apple is because hes trying to fulfill Genesis’ dream of sharing a dumbapple with Sephiroth but Sephiroth is presumed dead and Zack was close to him before he fell sosnencndnwjan the devs just assumed all of us read Genesis’ journal entry in the crater but if you don’t this line looks fucking deranged

Brb gonna go cry

[getvalentined]

Thinking about Sephiroth's motivations in Rebirth and getting super emotional because fuck, man, I get it. I get it. It doesn't excuse anything, but I get it in a way I can't even describe.

The Gi establish that those who aren't native to Gaia can't join the Lifestream basically at all, they're held separate entirely; the Gi have never been in it directly, their ghosts wander in a little liminal space they crafted for themselves. This is because they're entirely foreign—the Gi appear to be interdimensional travelers that were somehow marooned on Gaia at some point in ancient history, where they died and were left as ghosts, lingering forever unable to move on.

Sephiroth is slightly different in that he was born on Gaia and he does have human parents as well as Jenova, so he can force his way into the Lifestream as we saw in Lifestream Black and Advent Children, but he can't disseminate into it. He's still conscious and cognizant in some capacity even as the Lifestream fights to strip away the parts of him that belong on the planet, the parts of him that were human. This is, presumably, why his memory is all fucked up postcanon, whether we're talking novels or spinoffs; the Lifestream has been trying to take him but it can't, because there's too much Jenova in him, so the parts of him that have survived are just the parts that are the son of Jenova. He hasn't been fully worn down by the time the Crisis rolls around, likely because his body is still partially intact in the Northern Crater. (Again, see Lifestream Black, as well as the OG.)

And here's where everything starts to hurt.

He's alone. No matter what Sephiroth does, he's entirely, completely alone. There is nothing in the world like him, the planet won't accept him—it's not death, it's a homecoming, and Sephiroth has nowhere to go home to.

And he's done this before, this is a repeating timeline, he's been through this before over and over and over. And he's always alone in the end. He's always there at the edge of creation, the end of all things, the kindling of a new universe, and he's still there. All alone.

So this time he's calling for the ultimate Reunion. He's not just calling his Clones home, he's pulling all of time and space together into a single planet, bolstered with the lingering Lifestream of hundreds, thousands of others, timelines where things fell apart and Gaia sat on the precipice of death before Sephiroth found her and tore the Lifestream loose to feed the timeline he's chosen as the most likely to survive.

Three friends go into battle. One is captured (Genesis, in Deepground), one flies away (Angeal, who chose his own death), and the one who remains becomes a hero.

Heroes save the world.

But it doesn't matter, does it? Because he's going to be alone. Zack asks how he could turn his back on everything, and he says "Easily." Aerith asks how he could possibly want an eternity alone—because she doesn't understand, that's what Sephiroth has waiting for him anyway. That's all he's ever had waiting for him.

Sephiroth is going to save a world that will never accept him, because that's what heroes do, and then he's going to be alone forever. But this time, for the first time in every timeline he's experienced, he's going to do it on his own terms. He knows what he is, he knows how this ends, he has no questions of that. But for once in his existence—and it's a long existence, unending, eternal in a way that neither human nor Cetra could never even comprehend—he's going to control exactly how that happens.

Sephiroth knows he can't control whether or not he ends up alone, but he can choose how it happens. He can do things right this time. Maybe if he saves the world it will be different. Maybe the planet will accept him. Maybe he won't be alone.

And if he is (and he knows he will be), at least it was on his own terms.

At least, for once in the whole of creation, Sephiroth had a single flicker of control over his own existence. For once in the entirety of existence, Sephiroth made a decision for himself.

He'll have to live with that decision, alone, for eternity—but it was his.

[rocketbirdie]

I want to write about my final fantasy au, anonymously, since I'm usually ashamed of my au

👉👈

It's mainly based on the fact that Shinra decided not to fight the same degradation of Genesis and other guys, but only to study and even keep them.

As a result, continuing to experiment on people and not only. But there weren't many volunteers, so they began to take from their squads, not only SOLDIERs but also their other workers Thus, young Cloud fell under the hot hand of Shinra, an experiment was done on him after which he was half-unconscious for some time until he woke up. But he felt so terrible that he couldn't even walk and eat normally, although over time he began to walk normally, albeit slowly.

Cloud completely lost his appetite and strength, which is why he mostly prefers to sit on the bed and look at the floor. Any action almost immediately exhausts him, which seems to be a side effect of the experiments themselves.

Although Zack willingly takes care of him, trying to support his friend.

But after some time, a few days, weeks, etc., Cloud grew a wing (I would describe it, but my description is more based on the fact that the wing literally grew out of his back, tearing the skin there, etc.-). And when Cloud was already feeling a little better, he noticed that it was damn hard for him to move the wing in any way, it was almost immobile and just ended up dragging along the ground.

(Zack in this AU also has a wing, but then Shinra was a little more careful with their experiments-)

that's all, because then the bot in character.ai broke down and refused to write further :(

(and there no insane Sephiroth)

I like it!!! I've had the headcanon that half of the reason that SOLDIER even exists is so that R&D can obtain new human test subjects discreetly (although headcanon is a silly word when it's preeeetty much canon lol). So this AU definitely tickles me.

[rottenpumpkin13]

both lazard and tseng taking pto at the same time and agsz & the turks all asking rufus for guidance/assistance

*Zack enters Rufus' office when he's busy*

Zack: Sir? Can I ask you for advice? Usually I ask Lazard or I go to Tseng, but they're both absent.

Rufus: Sure, go ahead.

*Zack sits down*

Zack: I don't know how to confront Sephiroth about the mysterious shadow figure that follows him wherever he goes and tries to convince him to start fires.

*Rufus removes a flask from his desk drawer*

*Cissnei also walks in*

Cissnei: Where does Tseng keep the emergency mastered healing materia? Legend fell down the stairs.

Rufus: How did he fall?

Cissnei: I pushed him.

*Genesis walks in*

Genesis: I demand compensation for the mission I completed, but Sephiroth got all the credit for. This is the pinnacle of unfairness and I intend to incite a riot.

Rufus: Why don't you go talk to him to resolve this in a civilized manner?

Genesis: Because the elusive, maternal shadow figure that follows him everywhere freaks me out.

*Rufus takes a shot from the flask*

*Reno walks in*

Reno: We lost the target we've been tracking for months, so now we have to start the investigation all over again.

Rufus: Seriously!? How is there not one person in both SOLDIER and the Turks that does their job responsibly, correctly, and without failure??

*Sephiroth walks in*

Sephiroth: I’ve completed all the main missions on the roster, assisted the Turks with that operation where they lost the target, handled part of Lazard’s workload on your behalf, and I’m here to help with whatever you need.

Rufus, staring at Jenova's shadow: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?

[sephiroths-stuff]

This is a blurb of writing based on angsty af hand drawn art I made waiting for me to be able to afford copay for a new iPad because mine was stolen. It's an AU where Sephiroth was neutralized in Nibelheim by Shinra and was taken back to Hojo and he briefly comes back to himself after being basically rabid for a bit And it's low-key distressing how it ends I'm so sorry. Enjoy there's fanart at the end I drew.

"Well, Hojo, when you're done playing with your little failed experiment here, you can come back to the real work Shinra has for you to do. Let us know when you're ready." President Shinra's voice dripped with venom as he spoke to Hojo, standing in front of the closed doors of his lab.

"We had such high hopes for him. It's a pity he chose to just... burn it all down in one fell swoop like that." Hojo shook his head. He really was sorry about that. For all that he may not have been the most nurturing mentor and parental figure to his charge, he had never wanted it to end like this. With him, Hojo, being seen as a failure.

Sephiroth had been his rising star. The thing that would bring him his fame, his glory. He would have brought him prestige and power within Shinra, had that damned child just kept his head on straight and quit asking about his twice-damned mother! He clenched his teeth, through President Shinra's dronings on and on about responsibility and how he couldn't just 'play with his broken toys forever' and how he needed to 'move on' to bigger and brighter things eventually.

"Do you understand me... Professor?" President Shinra asked, his voice tinged with the veiled threat of termination, should Hojo fail him once more.

"Of course, President. I thank you for being so understanding of this... Oh so unfortunate mishap. I do need to be going. Perhaps... better understanding why this happened will prevent any other men of ours from defecting in the future. Angeal Hewley... Zackary Fair... Genesis Rhapsodos... And now him? Such a tragedy."

President Shinra could tell Hojo was not being fully honest, but clearly could not assertain exactly how and seemed to know not to push it further. He grunted and walked out of the R&D labs department area with his bodyguards tailing him menacingly.

Hojo waited until the President was securely on the elevator and well out of earshot before rubbing his hands together with a vicious sneer on his face. "Now, it is my chance to get back at you, boy, for all you've cost me and my research."

He strode into the lab and punched in a code at a back door at the anterior of the lab to enter a high security room. Inside the room was Sephiroth. But he was not the same. No, instead of the proud, stoic, hero of Shinra, Demon of Wutai that Hojo had crafted from infancy, there was a raging fury.

Inside a heavily reinforced container more fit for shipping monsters than people, Sephiroth was heavily sedated, heavily restrained, and still he was relentlessly trying to escape, eyes wild and full of unrelenting anger.

"YOU! YOU DID THIS! YOU HID HER FROM ME!" He screamed as Hojo came into his sightline. His normally impeccably groomed hair was tangled and unkempt, strung around his body in matted swaths.

"And whom would you be talking about, Sephiroth?" Hojo asked, calmly, as if he were merely talking about the weather. He knew. He knew exactly who. Jenova.

"My mother, you bastard! Bring her BACK!" He gave out an anguished howl, and he shook the container once more. Despite his arms and hands being bound behind him in a metal uniglove made of enhanced material and his legs and feet being bound in similarly strong cuffs, he was still capable of thrashing around a bit, and the force with which he did so shook the container.

"Do you mean Jenova? Because you are never seeing what you saw out there again, Sephiroth. That was a mistake I don't intend to make again. You have been a very bad boy, and you've made a fool out of both yourself and me!" Hojo scolded him like a child who had been naughty, his tone meant to mock and cut. As if it mattered. He wondered how much of the original Sephiroth there was left within this maddened man.

The wailing stopped. "No." A husky voice emanated from Sephiroth, hoarse from the screaming and vocal protests to Hojo's recent, repeated violations of his personal autonomy. "I mean... the woman... from when I was young. Jenova... She is... Wrong." His voice had less anger to it, and so much more grief.

That stopped Hojo in his tracks. Long ago, when Sephiroth had not yet seen war, for a birthday gift, he had given the child a locket with a picture of the boy's actual mother, Lucretia Crescent in it. He had told him her name was Jenova, a lie of course, but young Sephiroth, gullible and aiming to please, had believed him.

He realized now that Sephiroth must have realized he had been lied to. The remnants of Jenova in the Nibelheim manor looked nothing like Lucretia, what little the scientist remembered of her. He frowned. "Do you mean the woman in the locket, Sephiroth? Because, similarly, you will never see her either!"

Sephiroth's eyes grew wide with horror and anger commingled in their gaze. "You're wrong! I know you are! You know where she is! You had her picture! Tell me where she is, Hojo!"

"That's enough out of you! Go to sleep now. You won't remember any of this later. Or ever. You will never be a bother to me about her again. Because in the end, I will create what I sought to, and you will be little more than a memory of a failure."

Hojo pulled a lever and gas was injected into the container that permeated the box with heavy sedating chemicals mixed with an anti-Mako medication designed to cure people of Mako poisoning. This medication was going to be part of how Hojo kept Sephiroth sedated and helpless for the rest of his life.

Sephiroth slumped forward after trying in futility to resist for several minutes, and the rest was history. Hojo had some of his most trusted assistants, sworn to secrecy, take his body and rig him up in a stasis tube and fill it with a blend of anti-Mako infusions meant to be taken through the skin and the necessary liquids to keep him afloat. His hands and feet were set in restraints with his legs spread wide and his arms crossing his chest. A mask was put over his mouth so he wouldn't suffocate and a tube was put in his mouth for his nutrients and breathing. And that's where he'd stay until his body deteriorated. Nothing more than Hojo's lab decoration. A memory of Shinra's greatest failure.

[dark-elf-writes]

Kid 1: vote for Barret. Wants their dad to be with someone he 100% trusts and that fought with him for a long time. Places a lot of value on trust and shared experiences. The most rode or die kid of the bunch which is really saying something.

Kid 2: vote for Genesis. Is really invested in the idea of cloud having something resembling an equal when it comes to combat. The fact gen would appreciate their dad’s (far too often overlooked) materia selection just as much as his swords is a plus.

Kid 3: team Rufus. Really wants cloud to be a widower because no one living is worthy of their dad, but the bag needs to be secured before they kill Rufus off. Has high hopes that cloud would be a better president shinra than Rufus ever could be. Practically a shoe in for the Turks. Will hiss at the mention of prenups.

Kid 4 (he/him?): originally voted Sephiroth. Probably thought his eyes looked like an endangered lizard’s and decided that meant the rest of him could be fixed. He is of the opinion cloud is very good at fixing people (others used to say he was weird and broken before cloud, but now they don’t so he must be okay now). Besties with a dragon summon and dreams of giving someone a self fulfilling prophecy because those are his favorite ones.

Kid 1 Lily 11 (She/her): Leader of their group. Brown hair and eyes. Lost her parents when the plate fell and got displaced again after meteorfall. Was brought to Cloud by Marlene who is her best friend to this day. May have alternative motives for wanting Barret to marry Cloud. Will kill for her siblings and friends no questions asked. Has nightmares about the plate falling all the time and takes the longest warm up to the Turks as a result. Future mechanic/gunsmith. Has definitely had more than one experiment explode on her.

Kid 2 Ky 12 (He/they): The Nerd™️ of the group. Red hair brown/red eyes. Got kicked out when he caught geostigma and never bothered to check if his parents wanted him back after he was cured or if they even lived. Was brought in by Denzel after the church along with a few other geostigma kids who had nowhere else to go. Always more comfortable with books rather than people. Looks for symbolism in everything. Has made all of them go see Loveless a dozen times. Materia gremlin. Could probably outcast Cloud if given a few years.

Kid 3 Jayden 10? No one is sure (they/them): The most mysterious/murder gremlin of the group. Could be Cloud’s pre-mako clone with the blond hair and blue eyes. No one really knows anything about them pre Geostigma and didn’t ask for fear of making them sad/bitey. Will settle for Tseng or Elena for Cloud if Rufus is not an option/as a second marriage. Has mutual beef with Reno and no one knows why. Will be scouted for the Turks if they can just stop plotting Rufus’ death.

Kid 4 Seraph 10 (he/him): The Weird Kid™️. White/blond hair green eyes. Ran away from an abusive/neglectful home before everything and kept running after. Only went with Kadaj and co because they looked so similar to him. Most people that meet him swear that he was a Shinra experiment but no one will say so out loud for fear of Cloud and his other kids bodying them on the spot. Likes fortune telling, lizards, and magic (non materia). Has a hard time with social situations and crowds but so does cloud so he feels better about it now than he did before.

[miss-midnightt]

Sephesis Week Day 1: "We Seek it Thus"--Calm Before the Storm

The sky was overcast, clouds deep grey and swollen, threatening rain. Humidity hung heavy in the air, uncomfortable and sticky in the summer heat. A calmness filled the air. Storm season had arrived late to Banora, and now it was here.

The sound of boots on gravel broke the silence. A boy, no older than fourteen or fifteen, crested the hill. Choppy, shoulder length auburn hair, blue eyes lined with dark eyeliner, slightly smudged above the right eye, light smattering of freckles across the nose—Genesis. His attire both showcased his deliberate fashion and complete disregard for the climate; skinny jeans and leather do not mix well with Augusts in Banora.

He looked up at the sky, shrugging dismissively before pulling out a stick of his favorite apple flavored lipgloss from his pocket. Genesis lazily swiped it across his lower lip, then rubbed his lips together. The lipgloss was recapped and stowed away.

He walked slowly, not in a particular hurry to get anywhere. He cracked his knuckles (a nervous habit that he couldn’t be bothered to break) and examined his nails. The shiny maroon polish he’d painted on them one, two nights ago was slightly chipped, nails bitten to the quick (yet another nervous habit).

A light breeze started up; it prompted a rustling in the apple trees and a poorly tacked poster on the telephone pole to fly off, carried by the wind. It fluttered aloft for about fifty feet before it flew into Genesis’ face unceremoniously.

The boy grumbled, peeling it away from his face. As he was about to crumple it and toss it away, he caught a glimpse of the face on the poster.

‘The hero of Wutai has returned victorious! Join Shinra and fight alongside him!’ It read; underneath the text was a large picture of Sephiroth, in all his glory.

Genesis smiled involuntarily at the poster—or rather the boy on the poster—as he traced two fingers lightly across the image.

“We seek it thus—“ he began, before a fat raindrop landed on the poster. Genesis neatly folded the paper and tucked it away with his lipgloss.

A few more droplets fell before it began to rain in earnest. The sudden downpour surprised Genesis, who hurried his pace, arms raised to protect his hair from the rain. —-- Genesis carefully pinned the slightly crumpled poster on the wall. It fit in neatly with the many other similar posters of the famed war hero.

He smoothed it out and stepped away, nodding in approval to no one but himself. Walking over to his vintage desk, Genesis tugged at the slightly sticky drawer until it opened. He grabbed an apple lollipop and opened it, tossing the wrapper into the little wastebasket below his desk.

Genesis set to painting his nails, this time a deep purplish red. He absentmindedly crunched on the lollipop, fantasies of meeting the boy on his wall and becoming a hero taking him far, far away, to Midgar.

——

Many, many miles away, Sephiroth looked up at the grey sky. It would rain soon, he knew. Best to set up camp while it was still dry. That is what he told everyone else, and so it was done. No one questioned the hero of Wutai, Shinra’s finest, the first SOLDIER. 

He hated it.

Sephiroth went through the motions—pitch tent. Survey camp. Recheck tent. It was the same every time, more or less. After a while, he had gotten used to it.

——

The boy sat in his newly pitched tent, sharpening his sword. His face was set, solemn, focused. Very adult—it did not suit Sephiroth’s round, soft cheeks or wide baby blue eyes. Not that he cared.

The sound of the other people in camp was faint in the background. Somewhere in the distance, the roll of thunder could be heard.

The movement of the whetstone paused, then stopped. Sephiroth set the sword aside as the first raindrops began to fall. 

He pulled out the picture of his mother from his breast pocket, cradling it to his chest.

If only he had a wall to pin it to.

@sephesisweek

(edited because i wanted to add some stuff lmao)

Posted to AO3 here