#i think this would be sephiroth after he gets hojo i think she should get the chance to end that man but that’s just my opinion

[valentimmy]

sephiroth but this time he did an oopsie :(

[dark-konohagakure2]

sephiroth forcing himself on a girlie thats too shy to talk to him?

tw: noncon, power imbalance, size difference, humiliation, degradation, semi-public sex, misogyny, victim blaming, verbal abuse

All characters depicted are 18+

Sephiroth is well aware of his little fanclub of swooning fangirls who are all head over heals in love with him, he doesn't hate it, but he certainly doesn't like it either, he treats their existence with the same passive indifference that one would treat ants on a sidewalk, uncaring if they are there or not, Sephiroth has about as many love confessions under his belt as he does inches of hair on his head, but none of these women interest him very much.

That is the case for a while until his keen senses pick up on someone following him, he initially assumes it's just Hojo coming to pester him again, or Zack coming to ask him more idiotic questions, but instead he catches a glimpse of a girl peeking at him from around the corner, only to quickly hide when he turns around. Being a trained SOLIDER from birth, Sephiroth immediately assumes hostile intent from her, what other reason would she have to follow him whilst concealing her presence?

He'll almost immediately confront her, although not in a brutish manner, no, a man like Sephiroth is one to use cold intimidation over such savage tactics. He'll corner the little spy rather quickly, placing his gloved hand on the wall next to her head as he asks her what exactly she thinks she's doing. He'll watch as she flounders about like a fish on land, struggling to get a single word out as her face turns a bright red, that when Sephiroth will notice a very interesting looking note clutched to her chest.

Sephiroth will pluck the note from her hands the moment he sees it, holding it out of her reach with his superior height, ignoring her protests and pleas as he begins to read it, sneering at the flowery words and shoddy handwriting, it's pitiful how little effort she put into confessing her silly feelings to one as important as Sephiroth. He'll make it clear that her little crush is nothing but delusional wishful thinking, but that won't stop him from taking advantage of it, and of her.

"Oh... How cute. Did you really think a few scribbles on paper would be enough to win me over? How pathetic. But I suppose I can give you what you so clearly want..."

He'll pay no mind to her protests as he rips her shirt open right on the spot, Sephiroth doesn't see why she's protesting, she said she likes him, and now she doesn't? Are all woman this indecisive? Sephiroth has never really understood women, or men either for that matter, he's always had trouble understanding those beneath him, but none of that matters to him now, all that matters is giving this cute little stalker exactly what she deserves.

Sephiroth isn't gentle with her at all, it's just not in his nature to treat anyone with kindness, not even an innocent young woman who's only crime is having a crush. He'll cover her mouth with a large leather clad hand as his hips snap into her's from behind, fucking her just around the corner of the hallway and in the blind spot of the many security cameras in Shinra's hallways.

Despite forcing her to be silent, Sephiroth won't do the same, instead he'll whisper venomous insults into her ear, telling her that she's no different than his other admirers, that this is the most attention any man would deign to give her, and how this is what she wanted from him, so she should be grateful, he's practically a saint for humoring her pitifully misguided affection towards him, an affection that definitely won't replace after this encounter, instead being replaced with fear.

He'll be finished with her rather quickly, as if his body itself is in a hurry to be done with her, Sephiroth won't care if he cums directly inside her, even if he doesn't knock her up, she should be grateful for his attention and his seed, he doesn't give that to just anyone, only the shy little brats who don't know how to talk to people like a big girl.

"Hmpf, I have no more use for you. Now go back to your little hovel like a good girl, unless you want more of my attentions, that is..."

Sephiroth will watch her leave without another word, showing faint amusement at the sight of her limping away, her pussy leaking his semen as she does. He finds her very amusing, in fact he might even consider using his high standing in Shinra to get her alone again.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Let’s reverse the question, AGSZC get stuck in a timeloop COLLECTIVELY, what’s the first thing they do?

The Nibelheim Time Loop (from hell)

Nibelheim Loop #1

Cloud: Man, I had the weirdest dream last night.

Zack: One where Sephiroth burns your village down?

Cloud: That's so creepy! How did you know?

Zack: I had the exact same dream.

*Sephiroth walks up to them*

Zack: Sephiroth, did you have any weird dreams last night?

Sephiroth: I had a dream where I turned into an infant kangaroo and was taken from my mother at birth, deprived of the comfort of her pouch, and forced to work for Shinra. Years later I discovered my mother was complicit in denying me the pouch. Seeking solace, I found an artificial pouch from a robotic alien kangaroo mother. I then rode contentedly in her pouch as she burned everything around us to keep me warm.

Zack: A simple yes would've sufficed.

-

Nibelheim Loop #5

Zack: You're living the same day over and over too, right? I'm not going crazy?

Sephiroth: Actually, I just noticed that we're in a time loop this morning.

Zack: You burned down Nibelheim four times.

Sephiroth, gaslighting him: What a touching story.

Zack: !?

-

Nibelheim Loop #8

*Nibelheim is burning*

Cloud: WHY!? WHY?? WHAT EVEN IS THE POINT ANYMORE!? WHY DO YOU KEEP DOING THIS?

Sephiroth, roasting marshmallows: Professor Hojo never let me roast marshmallows when I was a child. He claimed the sugar would provide excess dopamine, tricking my brain into thinking I could be happy and want more out of life.

Cloud: Shit man I had no idea

-

Nibelheim Loop #12

*Zack, Cloud and Genesis are holding Sephiroth down to keep him from entering the library*

Zack: QUIT IT! YOU ALREADY KNOW THE TRUTH!

Sephiroth: I YEARN.

Zack: FOR WHAT!?

Sephiroth: I YEARN.

-

Nibelheim Loop #16

*After tying Sephiroth up and sedating him*

Zack: There! Now he can't escape, and Jenova can't do mind control on him! Problem solved! No more Jenova cell people running around.

Zack:

Zack: *smells smoke*

Zack: That apple bastard.

-

Nibelheim Loop #23

Cloud: You know what!? This is a time loop! There are no consequences! I can go up to Sephiroth and kill him right now! Fuck it!

*Sephiroth walks up to him, Cloud punches his chest (nothing happens)*

Sephiroth: …..

*Cloud punches him again. He doesn't move*

Sephiroth: …..

*Cloud tries again. It's like punching a brick wall*

Sephiroth: Please stop fondling my chest.

Cloud: Oh my god.

-

Nibelheim Loop #36

Sephiroth: Am I….a human being?

Sephiroth: ….

*Sephiroth turns around*

Sephiroth: Where's Genesis?

Zack: He's not here, but he left this note. Here, let me read it—"Dear Sephiroth, I grew tired of flying from Banora to Nibelheim 35 times only to be met with disappointment, so I'm spending this loop in Costa Del Sol. Best Wishes, your friend, Genesis Rhapsodos."

Sephiroth: Wow. And he didn't even insult me this time.

Zack: "P.S.: No such luck kitty-boy you're a monster and yer mum's an alien. Get rekt."

Sephiroth:

-

Nibelheim Loop #???

*At the library*

Zack: Sephiroth! Stop!

Sephiroth: Each time I return here, my mind becomes clearer, more adept at absorbing information. This only fuels my bitterness and resentment, rather than allowing me to grow accustomed to it. I think this time I'll burn—

*Vincent appears and knocks him out with a pipe*

Zack: Woah! You got sick of the time loop too?

Vincent: What time loop?

Zack:

-

*The next day, after the time loop is broken*

Vincent: I'm glad I could be of assistance.

Cloud: Who would've thought that would end the time loop.

Vincent: Yes. It appears all Sephiroth needed was paternal discipline.

Cloud, gasping: You mean....? You're...?

Vincent: Yes. I'm Sephiroth's parent—

Cloud: !!

Vincent: —tal figure since I was in love with his real mother and his father is Professor Hojo, a role I've assigned myself purely due to the fact that I see myself as his primary caregiver during trying times, which is how an adequate father should act.

Cloud:

Vincent: Not that I would know.

[yourlilkaiju]

"Don't let the redemptioners see this." 🥺.....🙄 Please...

I could care less.

I could care less about whether or not someone hates Sephiroth or feels that he is better off being a compelling villain. I don't think that he should stay a villain. I think the villain should be Jenova. Should Sephiroth be considered for a normal life if not maybe somewhere along the lines of maybe an anti-hero? Perhaps. Maybe going up against injustices that affect people, which will eventually affect him. (A war veteran knows this shit.) And this will thus impact the normal life he'd so been hoping for. I honestly feel that there should somehow be a development in treatments as to how to separate Jenova cells from the body safely and effectively, which would thus lead to a gradual change in Sephiroth's appearance.

The key term here is gradual. As in expect at least a couple of decades before he is completely human again, if someone decides to break him out of the Mako crystal.

There are many things I feel on this topic. And frankly I could go on about it. But the issue remains that if I do, I would get nowhere in regards to the original intention of this post.

The fact that Sephiroth fans who believe in his redemption, are called redemptioners is kind of a step. Namely because this comes from a place of ignorance. For one, Sephiroth was a victim of circumstance. Two, the files in the underground library were not only kept in the Shinra mansion. But they were in Nibelheim, not too far off from a reactor that contained human experiments that disobeyed the laws of ethics and Jenova. All of this was run by Research and Development. Which was run by Hojo himself. The department that assigned the mission for Nibelheim was research and development. It was only to observe and report. Read that again.

So to be clear, the mission set for Nibelheim which was not intended for the neutralization and erasure of a town, but the observation and report of a Shinra reactor should have been completely harmless. And this observe and report mission, was coming from Hojo himself. Hojo knew that Jenova was in the reactor. The unlocked doors were too convenient. The access to the library and the classified files were too well placed. And what's more is that only one first class soldier was sent along with him. There weren't any others to train or attempt to bring into the fray. Sephiroth was intended to be the perfect soldier. He was frequently experimented on trained without kindness or reprieve. The only kindness he observed as far as we know was when he was fourteen, when he entered SOLDIER. Beyond that, everything he grew into could not be helped. He tried to be human. He tried to make the best of himself. In the end, the pressure became too much and the Jenova cells took to his brain like a parasite and soon, Jenova was in his head. Thinking for him, breathing for him- controlling his every waking thought and telling him that she's his mother. Even though his mother died shortly after he was born.

Many people are fans of Sephiroth because he is easy to relate to. Many want to see him live a normal life after so many years of adversity and sadness. Because he deserves to walk away from the misery. And usually, folks who don't like Sephiroth fans just like to grind their teeth at anything that doesn't worship the good guys that commit the same genocide that the good guys do for the sake of bringing down Shinra. (If they're reading this, sorry. You brought this truth upon yourselves. Now wallow in it.)

I understand that we all may have our stances and opinions about the one winged baddie. I get that he is one wicked babe. He's not for everyone and sometimes, for a lot of people, they just can't handle that much leather and sass. I get it. Not everyone is kinky or genuinely flirty with the black wingy feather boi. (Yes, I know there are some versions of him that are aro/ace. You can still be flirty with aro/ace so long as it isn't physical and doesn't actually go anywhere....also it must be enthusiastically reciprocated and CONSENSUAL. SSC, darlings.)

But I digress.

As a dominatrix towards people I don't know who ask for my...impactful consultations and integrative queries, Sephiroth is by far an inspirational being who very much represents abuse victims everywhere. And I don't think anti-Sephies understand that. Rather I don't know if they have the emotional maturity that's necessary to do so. Sephiroth has had his boundaries breached on numerous occasions and had been put into a situation where entropy was his life's motto. And when he was finally ready to leave Shinra, he did so. Just....not in the way he hoped.

Overall, it's okay for one to dislike a character. But don't make fun of others for wanting the devs to create a redemption arc for said character. With numerous pathways, please? We don't make fun of you for liking genocidal eco terrorists. No matter how you look at it, that's exactly what they did.

Hypocrites.

[sephirthoughts]

The Ghost of Shinra Manor 👻

It's still spooky season till after Día de los Muertos so it's not technically late!

summary: It's been two years since the events of Dirge of Cerberus. Cloud visits his hometown, and investigates a rumor of a ghost, haunting Shinra Manor. If you're surprised by who it turns out to be, you are beyond my power to save, comrade.

tags: g-g-g-ghosts!!! sefikura, sephiroth x cloud, sane!sephiroth (sort of), post advent children, post dirge of cerberus, canon timeline, delusions, intermitten amnesia, low drama, enemies to…whatever the hell they have going on

NOTE: i was raised by outdoorsy, log cabin, roughing-it parents and there will be a lot of details about this type of living because that is what i like

warnings: references to death, PTSD, past abuse, etc. all of hojo's greatest hits, mention of animal death in the context of ethical subsistence hunting/fishing, canon-typical violence, technical nudity but i didn't describe anything so you'd have to imagine it yourself which is not on me, pervert

rating: teen and up [for now]

Part 1: Reunion

A big, black, Fenrir model motorcycle roared up the dirt road, leaving clouds of dust in its wake. Its golden-haired rider adjusted his goggles and pulled his black scarf up, over his nose and mouth. It was late spring, which was still mid-winter in the Nibel region, and as he drew nearer to the mountain, the wind grew colder and sharper, till it felt like it was full of tiny, icy needles.

He had a little hunting cabin, up there, that no one else knew about. They knew he went somewhere, it was just that he didn’t specify the location to anyone but Cid and Vincent, who had helped him fix the place up, and were sworn to secrecy.

Why didn’t he tell the others where it was? Why would he? He went there to be alone. To decompress, when the weight of people’s lives got too heavy to carry. When their voices began to cut into his skull like buzz-saws, and he felt the thread of his tolerance strained to the snapping point.

Even for a person with a normal brain and no life-altering trauma, things would have been claustrophobic, in their little house. Marlene and Denzel were underfoot every minute of the day, and their continued presence meant that when Cloud wasn’t out on long deliveries, he and Tifa had to share a bedroom. He couldn’t fall asleep, with another person in the room, though, so they didn’t use it at the same time. He was a night person, anyway. 

She tried to act like she wasn’t hurt by his refusal to share a bed with her, but she was a shit actress. He had attempted to make her feel better by explaining that he didn’t have those kinds of feelings for girls—or for anyone, really—but he could tell she didn’t really believe it. Or that she at least thought of it as something they could work on.

Everyone (except Vincent) thought that. That something was wrong with him, and that he’d get better, if they persevered in telling him so. The way he was didn't make sense to them, therefore it wasn't normal, therefore it was a problem that needed to be solved. Hooray for the neuro-typical majority.

No one ever asked Cloud what he thought. They just told him what he should think, and then made decisions for him. Most of the time, it was easier to just go along with it, especially since he didn’t want everyone to be mad at him. Them being mad at him meant they’d talk to him even more, and use louder voices. He hated that.

He should have insisted on getting his own place, a long time ago. He and Tifa had been playing house from necessity, at first, but there was nothing actually keeping them together, now, aside from habit. Habit and guilt.

Who knew when she started to think of it as a real family. As if she and Cloud were a mother and father, with a couple of kids. As absurd as that was. They were barely more than kids, themselves.

When Cid and Vincent got married, people got even more obnoxious with the hints and "jokes" about when him and Tifa were going to tie the knot. She’d act all embarrassed and explain that their relationship wasn’t like that, but she’d glance at him, with that look in her eyes, when she thought he wasn’t paying attention. 

He sighed, as he rounded a long curve in the road. He knew himself well enough to know that he’d probably wind up giving in and just marry her. Didn’t seem like a very happy ending, for either of them, but who got one of those, these days? 

It did seem like an especially shit deal for her, though. Marry the kid no one liked, from your backwater hometown, live in a shithole two-bedroom over a bar, slinging booze and taking care of two adopted kids, while your asexual husband spends most of his time away, for work. 

Asexuality was a spectrum, though, and Cloud was somewhere near the middle. It just wasn’t the heterosexual middle. He made an earnest effort, once, but he couldn’t get it up for a woman, no matter how hard he tried, and it just wound up being awful and making the girl cry.

Fucked a couple of guys back when he was a trooper, but that was rare. Not that there weren’t plenty of interested troopers and even SOLDIERs, it was just that he had never wanted any of them. What he had really wanted was Sephiroth. 

Cloud was nine years old, when he fell in love with the perfect face, that he saw on television and the recruiting posters, that were always plastered all over every vertical surface, in town. The obsession only grew stronger, as he grew older. 

He joined up as soon as they’d take him, at age fourteen. The training was miserable and grueling, but he gritted his teeth and worked his ass off, keeping his idol firmly in his sights. Whenever the opportunity came up, he applied to the SOLDIER program. For all his diligent efforts, he met with rejection after rejection.

Several years passed, that way, with disappointment weighing ever more heavily on his heart. But just when he was losing hope that he’d ever meet the object of his worship face to face, he was assigned to a mission with the silver soldier himself. Wouldn’t you know it, that mission was to check on the reactor, in his very own hometown. 

They say never to meet your heroes, but the implication is that you’ll be disappointed. Cloud was not disappointed. Sephiroth was everything he had ever imagined, and more. Ten times more beautiful, and a hundred times stronger and faster. His legendary height was one thing to know logically, and another thing entirely to experience in person. He was literally superhuman.

And yet, despite his angelic appearance and godlike strength, he wasn’t arrogant or demanding, at all. He was thoughtful and soft-spoken, and obviously cared for his subordinates. He asked their opinions, and actually listened. Encouraged them, rather than berating them. He even learned and called them by their first names. It was the most humanely Cloud had been treated by any superior, apart from Zack.

Following those two around, on that mission, Cloud fell more hopelessly in love with his silver-haired deity, than ever. He loved Sephiroth with his whole young soul. Right up to the moment he watched that famous blade pierce his mother’s heart. 

Cloud Strife died, that night, as surely as Claudia had, and whatever this thing was, that he had become, was born. This thing capable of killing gods and monsters. This thing that survived years in a mako tank, being tortured by that bastard Hojo. This thing that had absorbed Zack’s memories, and remembered everything but Zack. This thing that hated Sephiroth, with every fiber of its being. Hated him as much as Cloud had loved him.

The sun was low in the sky, behind a blanket of grey clouds, when he finally pulled up to the clearing, where his unassuming cabin was tucked away.

He swung his leg off the saddle, then he winced and clutched his chest. His heart had been aching more and more as he approached Nibelheim. Not in the metaphorical sense, because of the tragedies he’d been through there—it was actual, physical pain.

He wasn’t exactly sure when it started, though, bcause he was so used to pain, it just got shoved to the back of his mind. Which it did again, now. It wasn’t bad enough to incapacitate him, so he ignored it, and unbuckled the leather panniers, which he slung over his shoulder.  

The cabin was locked up tight, just like he left it, with all the traps and wards in place. Not surprising. No one came up this way, anymore, since the reactor shut down.

Fortunately, the cabin didn’t need the reactor, for power. He’d bought an old, Wutaian, nuclear generator, to heat the water and supply electricity, and hooked it up with Cid's help. Thing was expensive as hell, but it was quiet, reliable, and would last literally forever. 

He stepped inside and typed in a code on a wall panel. When the generator hummed to life, he switched the electric lights on, and took a look around. The place was a little dusty, since he hadn’t been there since last summer, but otherwise, everything was just how he left it. 

It was a simple, single-room cabin. Nothing fancy, except he and Cid had redone the insulation and added the electrical wiring. Water came from a dedicated well, deep enough to take advantage of the Nibel region’s unique geothermal situation, and not freeze.  

There was a bed in one corner, with a frame of roughhewn logs, and a cedar trunk at the foot, where the blankets and pillows were stored. The bathroom door and the kitchen were on the other side (just a stove, small refrigerator, a few cabinets, and a sink), and the fireplace was central. In the opposite corner to the bed, there was a steel camp table, with two folding chairs, as if he’d ever have a guest here.

He tossed his panniers on the bed and went right back out to carry in firewood. Supply was getting low. The cupboards were pretty barren, too, but he’d go into town tomorrow to stock up on canned and dry goods. Those were just a supplement to the main source of food, up here, which was hunting.

When he was a kid, hunting was a long and grueling ordeal, with uncertain payoff. Now, augmented by Sephiroth’s cells and whatever else Hojo did to him in that lab, it was as easy as a trip to the grocery store. He left and returned with a brace of rabbits, within half an hour. It was late spring, so they were already nice and fat, too. 

With the ruthless efficiency of a seasoned survival hunter, he skinned, cleaned, and washed them, and set them roasting on the iron spit, over his little hearth. He was out of anything resembling spices, but the meat was good enough roasted, with just a little salt. 

That night, as he lay in bed, that ache in his chest seemed to grow worse, and made him toss and turn restlessly. When he finally drifted off, he dreamed of being impaled on Masamune and lifted into the air. Sephiroth’s green cat-eyes, staring up at him, with that deranged smile on his beautiful face. Black feathers fell like snow all around him.

I will never be a memory…

In the morning, Cloud went into town. Despite the reactor being shut down, Nibelheim was more lively than ever. With no Shinra, there was no one to pay mortgages to, so the residents weren’t eager to leave the homes which now belonged to them, free and clear. Then the WRO came in and added infrastructure, opened a school and clinic, and paid subsidies to local shepherds and artisans and the like, so the little town was actually prospering. 

“Howdy, Mr. Strife!” the round-faced, balding man at the general goods store said cheerfully, when Cloud brought his purchases to the counter. “Been nigh on a year, since I seen ya. Stayin’ a while?”

“Little while,” Cloud answered noncommittally. “How are things, in town? Anything needs looking into, while I’m here?”

The man scratched his chin. “Nothin’ particular. Just the usual rumors, is all. Monsters in the woods. Creepy things goin’ on at the old manor. That kinda thing.”

“Let me guess. The vampire, again?”

“Nah, nah, ain’t heard nothin’ about that fella in a long time. These days, it’s a ghost.”

“Fiends, or something else?”

“Folks are sayin’ it’s the ghost of a woman, with long, white hair. Don’t do nothin’ but wander around inside the manor, wailin’ and moanin’. They say if you go over there, at night, you can hear her, but if she catches ya snoopin’ around, she sucks out your soul.”

Cloud snorted. “Sounds like the usual bullshit.”

“You ain’t kiddin’!” the man laughed. “Folks got too much time and not enough to do, these days, so they get to tellin’ tales. Y’never know what they’ll say, next. Maybe devils or goblins.”

“Well, if it keeps kids away from the manor, the ghost stories are probably for the better. It’s a dangerous place,” Cloud said, taking his full grocery bags. “I’ll be heading over there, tonight, to clear out any monsters that may have got in, over the winter. I’ll be sure to look out for the ghost.”

“Haha, you do that! Have a good one, Mr. Strife!”

Despite his reticence and flat indifference to overtures of friendship, Cloud was rather popular with Nibelheim’s current residents, because whenever he was in town, he’d deal with any local wildlife problems. Even if no one had anything pressing, he always checked Shinra Manor, since the ruins attracted a lot of monsters, and if they started establishing nests, they could pose a real threat to the townsfolk. 

He spent the rest of the day chopping and stacking firewood, fishing using a thundaga materia and a net (which was technically cheating, but he was fishing for food, not sport), and scouting around for signs of dens, near the town. When the sun got low, he strapped on his sword and began the short, two-mile hike to Shinra Manor.

When he emerged from the woods, on the bumpy, neglected dirt road, it was already dark. The hulking ruin of the house loomed like the desiccated corpse of some titanic beast, off in the darkness, behind the bent and rusted iron fence. Cloud kicked the creaking gates open and strode in.

The property was overgrown with brambles and sedge grass, and ugly, grey vines, with huge thorns covered much of the half-collapsed structure. The front doors had long fallen off the hinges, so the entrance was just a yawning, black hole, like the mouth of a tomb. 

Cloud faltered and clutched his chest, as he approached the house, but not for any fear of the supernatural. He’d killed too many supernatural creatures to care about even the biggest and vilest ones. Besides, he knew firsthand that the scariest thing in Shinra Manor had been a living human being, named Hojo. 

It was just that the pain in the area of his heart had gotten steadily worse, on the walk here, and now it was throbbing insistently, aching so badly it was getting hard to ignore it.

What the hell could it be? He’d chopped wood and done other physical labor all day, without noticing it. Why was it getting worse, now, after a relatively light walk? 

He was thinking about this, in mild annoyance, when he heard a noise inside the house. In the blink of an eye, his sword flashed out and he shifted into combat mode, all senses on alert. 

As he stepped inside, the stench of dry-rot hit him in the face, like a wool blanket. He paused and surveyed the area. It was pretty dark, in here, but he had excellent night-vision, so it was more like dim twilight, to him. 

The noise was coming from the upper level, somewhere. A rasping sound, like dry corn husks scraping the walls. Every once in a while, there was a burst of creepy cackling. His lip curled. He knew exactly what that was. 

The main stairwell had collapsed, so he leapt lightly up to the landing on the next level, and stalked down the hall. Around the corner, the doors to all the rooms (which were miraculously intact), were closed tight. The scraping sound was coming from…pretty much all of them. How did those things manage to get into the rooms and shut the doors behind them?

“Dumbshits,” he grumbled, and kicked the first door open. 

Sure enough, a bunch of floating fiends, with markings like stupid jack-o-lantern faces on their balloon-like air-sacs, were bobbing around the room cackling at each other. When the door exploded inward, they shrieked and rushed at Cloud. With a casual swing of his sword, he obliterated all of them at once. 

Their dying howls riled up the ones in the other rooms. Apparently they couldn’t figure out how to get out, though, so they just rasped and thudded around, cackling like idiots. Cloud kicked the next door down and blasted those ones, too. 

He repeated this process, for each room, making his way down the hall, till he reached the room with the secret passage, to the basement levels. There was no noise from this one. He tried the knob. It clicked easily, and the door swung open, with a hollow creak. 

No fiends in here, but the passage to the basement was open. He’d better go down there and clear out anything else, that might be lurking. Monsters loved dark, dank places like that.

Slapping his sword back onto the magnetic holder, he hopped down the black hole, and landed on a stone floor, three full stories below. 

The impact of his boots was still echoing in the stone-walled chamber, when he heard it. A low, eerie moan, that seemed to come from somewhere far off. At the same time, that pain split through his chest like a crack of thunder, making him grab his heart and gasp for breath. 

The moan stretched out into a wail, rising in pitch and wavering, before it dwindled again. The sound sent chills racing up his spine. Things like ghosts and monsters held no terror for him, but this was different. He wouldn’t even call it fear. It was more like…a rush of numinous awe.  

He threw a firaga burst, to light a couple of the torches on the wall, and surveyed the crypt. Vincent’s coffin was gone. The others had been tossed about and smashed to bits. Bones littered the floor.

Step by step, he descended deeper into the basement. Toward that old library. Toward that horrible place, where he was stuck with needles and probes, cut open and sewn back together, had his eyes blinded with chemicals and his lungs filled with burning mako, till his throat was too scorched and raw, to even beg for death.

His stomach churned and cold sweat was beading on his forehead, but he kept going, compelled by that ghastly moaning and the splitting pain in his chest.

He passed through the library, still scattered all over with heaps of old books, smelling heavily of their musty scent. The door was open, on the other side. The moaning had turned into a low whimpering, punctuated with choking sobs. It didn’t sound like a woman’s voice, though.

Drawing his sword again, and clenching his teeth against the agonizing ache in his heart, he stepped into the next chamber, all his hyper-tuned senses on high alert. There were collapsed pillars and scorch marks, and slashes made by huge claws in the stone walls, from their fight with Vincent, in his beast form. 

Along the far wall, were several heavy, steel doors, with locking bars on the outside. The one the noise was coming from was ajar. It wasn’t the lab he’d been confined in. It was on the opposite end of the long chamber—the one with those strange vats, labeled Project-S, which Vincent had taken umbrage to them entering, back then. 

Cloud pushed the door the rest of the way open and scanned the room. In the inky, underground darkness, even his night-vision was pushed to the limits, and he could only see very dimly, but it was enough to spot the source of the noise. 

It was a naked, ash-white, human figure, curled up in the corner of the room, trembling and whimpering. Its pallid body seemed insubstantial, almost transparent at the edges, like it was fading out of reality. That was probably just an illusion, brought on by the heavy darkness.

He used a materia to summon a little ball of light, and as the white glow filled the room, the figure gave a hoarse cry and curled up tighter.

Cloud squinted at it. This must be the ghost, people claimed was haunting the place, but why would they say it was a woman? Its back was to him and its head was down, wrapped up protectively in its arms, but he could see that it was a man, from the broadness and muscularity of the shoulders.

“N—no, please,” the ghost stammered, in a weak half-whisper. “Please, don’t hurt me. I’ll be good. I won’t…I won’t ask about her anymore, I promise. Please.”

“Hey. What’s wrong with you?” Cloud said. 

His own voice startled him, sounding solid and very loud, compared to the feeble murmurs of the ghost, which were muted and distorted, as if Cloud was hearing them through water.

“No, g—go away! Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!” the thing wailed, as Cloud stepped closer. 

“Will you shut up and listen to me?” Cloud said, keeping the sword trained on the huddled figure. 

The ghost’s piteous pleas cut off abruptly, but it kept trembling and cowering. 

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” Cloud soothed. “Calm down, ok? What are you doing here? Did you get lost?”

Hesitantly, the figure lifted its head. 

Cloud’s heart stopped.

Time seemed to stop.

Long, silver hair hung over the ghastly-white face, and cascaded to the floor, pooling around its bare feet, like water. From between the moon-colored strands, pale-blue eyes peered up at him, with slit, catlike pupils. 

“Who…who are you?”

next chap

ao3

[dracoqueen22]

For QuietShadow: FF7, Mistaken for a sex worker

“Aren’t you a little overdressed?” 

At first, Vincent doesn’t realize the stranger is talking to him. Why would he? Vincent has kept to this quiet, shaded corner for hours without being disturbed. With everything to do in Costa del Sol, why would anyone notice him? Or care?

Vincent lifts his chin and peers at the obvious tourist dressed in khakis and a bright floral print. There’s even a camera hanging around his neck. “I don’t swim.” 

“No, I mean, obviously you’re not on the beach.” The tourist coughs into his hand and stares somewhere over Vincent’s left shoulder, which is a wall, and not interesting enough to stare at. “I meant, you know, shouldn’t you advertise the goods?” 

“I’m not a shopkeeper,” Vincent says, his brow furrowing. “I have nothing for sale.” 

The tourist’s red face gets even redder. He should probably drink some water instead of another over-priced fruity cocktail. “Oh. Are you already spoken for? My mistake.” He coughs and tugs at his collar. “Maybe next time…? Can I do that? Make a reservation?” 

Vincent stares at him. “What?” 

“Yeah, you’re right. That’s dumb.” The tourist scratches his bald head and makes a sort of helpless, resigned laugh. “Better luck next time, Dwayne.” 

‘Dwayne’ wanders off before Vincent can parse what in the world he’s babbling about. He glances at the two men loitering a little further down the way, leaning against the rail with their chiseled bodies gleaming in the sunlight as if they might have an answer, but they have been doing a great job ignoring him. 

‘Dwayne’ was probably drunk. 

Vincent doesn’t think anymore about it until it happens again, this time in the shanty prison town beneath Gold Saucer. 

It’s hot and dry, necessitating that Vincent spend as much time in the shade as he possibly can. He doesn’t know what business Cloud has here, and frankly, he doesn’t care. But the sooner they leave to go after Sephiroth, the better. 

There’s a group of young women loitering nearby, scantily clad and chatting as they pass a single cigarette around. They ignore Vincent; he ignores them. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. 

Vincent passes the time in a meditative state, always fully aware of his surroundings, but calm enough to quell the beast within. Cloud and the others may enjoy running around, but Vincent prefers to conserve his energy. 

“How much?” 

The question is practically sneered, and again, Vincent isn’t sure it’s directed at him until he lifts his head to see a heavily tattooed woman staring him down. He has to look up at her, and it’s a bit unsettling. 

“For what?” he asks. And though he does not reach for his gun, he shifts his weight to make it more visible on his hip. 

“You,” she snaps, like he’s an idiot for not bowing before her. 

“What?” Vincent is, once again, confused. 

The trio of young women who had been loitering nearby break off into giggles and whispers to each other. 

“I’m not paying more than fifty gil,” says the tall woman, her biceps thicker than Barret’s thighs. She could snap him like a twig, were he not the end-result of one of Hojo’s vile experiments. “Can’t tell what you’re hiding under all those layers.” 

Vincent stares. “It’s no business of yours.” 

The giggles erupt into tittering laughs. 

The tall woman looks down at him, as utterly bewildered as Vincent himself seems to be. “Then why the fuck are you standing here?” 

Vincent squints. “To pass the time…?” 

“Give up, Dora!” one of the scantily-clad young ladies shouts. “Ain’t no fresh meat here for you.” 

“Tsch.” Dora spits at the ground near Vincent’s boots and lumbers off, but not before them all a middle-finger of a salute. 

The shortest of the three young woman, with bouncy red curls and a button hanging on for dear life, saunters over, popping gum. “We don’t care what you do so long as you don’t steal our regulars, yeah? It’s hard enough earnin’ a livin’ out here.” 

Vincent blinks. One plus one add together in his head. Details become clear. Conversation starts to reorient itself around an obvious point that he’s somehow missed, and a deep embarrassment takes root in his chest. 

“My apologies,” he says, and flees with what’s left of his dignity. 

Highwind, of course, finds it hysterical. 

“You didn’t notice?” he guffaws, head tipped back, laughter echoing around the Tiny Bronco’s interior. 

Vincent burrows deeper into his cloak. It hides the stain in his cheeks. Back in his day, sex workers were more discreet. They didn’t loiter in out of way corners that somehow everyone knew was the place to go to find comfort for the night.

“How much would you charge anyway?” Cid asks. 

Vincent rolls his eyes. “More than you could ever afford, Highwind.” 

Cid snorts a laugh and dives back into the Tiny Bronco’s innards with a clatter of wrench on metal, certain he can wrest a bit more speed out of the makeshift repairs. 

Vincent sighs. 

From now on, he’ll wait by the plane. 

***

a/n: This is dumb, I know. I'm sorry, but the idea wouldn't leave me alone! Vincent's always lurking somewhere in a town after he joins your group, and it was a cute game of Where's Vincent? But what if...? XD

anyway, feel free to comment/like/reply/reblog, etc

[lucky-ladybugs-lovelies]

One of the interesting things writing for KH Seph is figuring out his backstory and what should stay the same as FF7 and what should be turned on its head.

17 years ago, I had a backstory for him where his Lucrecia actually had a backbone and a conscience before it was too late and got him away from Hojo. She left him with adoptive parents and hence, he actually had a normal upbringing. I wasn’t sure I was going to use that for the current timeline, but after testing it a bit in an RP, I decided I still wanted to use it. Fleshing it out a bit in my mind, this is what I think went down:

Hojo experimented on himself with all sorts of stuff he shouldn’t have been messing with. Then he wanted to see if a kid of his would inherit all the powers and such. So he and his lab assistant, who was all into it at the time, got married and had a beautiful boy with silver hair and fire powers. Hojo was delighted. He and Lucrecia watched Sephiroth for a time, both all into it, and when Sephiroth showed amazing aptitude and ability to learn how to hone his powers at an extremely early age, Hojo started planning to make tests on his heart. This finally alarmed Lucrecia and she ran away with Sephiroth. They were on the run for a while until she found a couple she liked. She watched them for a time, making sure they seemed like they’d be good parents, and then approached them, telling of being on the run from her abusive husband for fear of her son’s life and that she needed to leave her son where he would be safe. The couple was overjoyed to be blessed with a child and were fascinated rather than alarmed or upset by Sephiroth’s fire powers. They vowed to teach him how to control them with love. Lucrecia, relieved, disappeared into the night, never having given her name.

Sephiroth grew up happy, learning how to be a hero from his adopted father, a retired military man, and his mother, who wrote for the local newspaper. With their loving guidance, he became more and more adept with his fire powers and learned more spells. At age five, he rescued a cat from a tree and this first act of heroism made him so happy and feel so free, he created wings from the strength of his heart. His parents, though initially stunned, quickly adapted to this as well, his mother especially doting on the wings and caring for them.

Sephiroth was mature beyond his years and was usually with other adults rather than children. When he went to be Phil to be officially trained as a hero in his teenage years, he met Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos and they became his first real friends around his age. Angeal remained his friend, while Genesis dissolved into jealousy and hatred over Sephiroth’s prowess and abilities and how he was the most recognized and loved of the three. He distanced himself from the others and was not really around much when Sephiroth discovered Zack and saw his hero potential. When Phil wouldn’t train Zack, Sephiroth took Zack with him and began training him himself. Angeal was sometimes around during this time, liking Zack and comparing him to a puppy. Eventually, however, Angeal too left, apparently going with Genesis to wherever Genesis was going.

Sephiroth and Zack became deeply close, far more than mentor and student and more like brothers. Zack moved in with Sephiroth and his parents, and they loved him too.

When the Heartless overran Radiant Garden and the survivors were forced to flee, Sephiroth was deeply affected and upset that he had not been able to stop what had happened. He began a search for a way to get rid of the Heartless for good. Zack accompanied him, worried as Sephiroth became more and more obsessed with his goal and delved deeper and deeper into dark magic to find a solution. Nothing Zack said deterred Sephiroth from his plans.

One night, going through an old library on another world, the two encountered Genesis again. Warped and twisted by hatred and perhaps something else, something unknown, he told Sephiroth that he and Angeal had been experimented on by a mad scientist throughout their lives and that there should have been a third child as well, a child who had been stolen from the laboratory at a young age. He showed a picture of a boy who might have been Sephiroth, but the lighting was not good enough to tell. Sephiroth was angry and hurt that Genesis was telling him these things and wondered why. Genesis said it would make them equals and Sephiroth would not be better than him any longer. Even more deeply hurt, Sephiroth read over the information and found that the mad scientist claimed that the third boy was his son. Genesis flew into a rage at this news, which would have again made Sephiroth the favorite, and set fire to the library. Sephiroth and Zack struggled to put it out before it could harm the town below.

(I’m still not sure what’s going on with Genesis, but it’s definitely deeper than it appears on the surface. Even though I struggle with my feelings about him, I can never write him as just a one-dimensional, completely petty person swallowed up in jealousy. He can be petty and jealous, absolutely, but he’s a lot more than that and I’ve always tried to reflect that.)

When Sephiroth finally finds the artifact he’s been searching for to defeat the Heartless and he and Zack try to fight them, the dark magic takes Sephiroth over and he starts attacking Heartless and humans alike. Horrified, Zack tries to stop him but can’t break the spell. Eventually, distracted by the problem, he is surrounded by Heartless and falls from a cliff fighting them.

This horror snaps Sephiroth out of it, but he is never the same. Blaming himself and desperately searching high and low in case Zack has somehow survived, Sephiroth feels tainted and unable to call himself a hero any more after this. His parents can do nothing to ease his heartbreak and sorrow, and they worry for him as he struggles to make sense of his life. He trains vigorously so that nothing can ever take control of him again and eventually learns to control the Heartless. Rumors circle that he is dangerous, a villain instead of a hero, and actual villains fear him because he has the power to take control of their armies and turn them against them. Sephiroth allows people to think what they will, especially since in his grief and guilt and self-hatred, he believes he is a villain.

He turns his attention to Zack’s friend Cloud, who once idolized Sephiroth but now is drowning in his own darkness and hates Sephiroth for what happened to Zack. Sephiroth sees in Cloud something of himself when he was falling to the darkness and sets about trying to help him, telling Cloud things about himself that Cloud doesn’t want to accept and using reverse psychology to try to get Cloud to determine he’s better than to give in to the dark. But Cloud, unfortunately, has a very vivid imagination and decides Sephiroth is the physical manifestation of the darkness in his heart. Sephiroth initially mocks this nonsense, but then tries to use it as part of his reverse psychology approach. This backfires badly, with Cloud only becoming more convinced that it’s true and never considering other options.

Somewhere along the way, another Heartless attack appears to claim the lives of Sephiroth’s parents, leaving him completely alone and despondent, without his last link to normalcy and love. Merlin, who has been aware of Sephiroth for a long time and sees the good in him that he can no longer see in himself, takes it upon himself to be a mentor figure and be there for Sephiroth when no one else can be. Sephiroth is surprised and somewhat awkward at first, but desperately needs this and is responsive to Merlin’s kindness and concern.

Sephiroth continues to try to help Cloud, with very little success. Eventually, however, Sephiroth puts Cloud in an elaborate illusory test to see if he will choose the light or sink into the darkness. Cloud nearly tries to kill Sephiroth out of rage but stops himself and Sephiroth tells him he passed the test.

From this point on, Cloud begins to see what’s happening in a new light and starts to become confused and unsure about Sephiroth. Deep down, he still loves Sephiroth, and this comes out more and more during their ensuing encounters until at last Cloud saves Sephiroth’s life with love when he is struck down by a poisoned knife courtesy of The Evil Queen. This is a shock to both of them, with Cloud unable to face or accept his feelings for some time even after this pivotal point. When he hurts Sephiroth due to being put under a hate spell by The Evil Queen and Sephiroth breaks it with an act of true love of his own, Cloud is grief-stricken and realizes how unfair and cruel it is to blame Sephiroth for Zack’s fall after being mind-controlled himself.

As they begin to come to understand each other’s feelings, Zack finally makes it back to them, alive but with amnesia. He remembers they’re dear to him but little else at first, until being around them and experiencing the problems they’re going through brings back the rest of his memories. He doesn’t blame Sephiroth at all, but blames himself for not being able to get through to him and is just happy Sephiroth (and Cloud) didn’t stay lost in the darkness. The three of them decide to be a family together. Sephiroth has his happily ever after, but it’s a beginning, not an ending.

And there are more surprises in store when they discover Maleficent was keeping some hostages she found who survived the Heartless attacks, including Sephiroth’s and Zack’s parents and Cloud’s mother….

Personality-wise, KH Seph is more of a gremlin than sane FF Seph but not as much as insane FF Seph. He loves to tease Cloud, but it’s all in good fun. He isn’t weighed down by the magnitude of what FF Seph has always had to deal with, but he sorrows plenty over his own mistakes. Since he chose the life of a hero instead of it being forced on him, this also results in a glaring personality difference. Both, however, are loving, loyal, and protective.

[crisiscutie]

People just don't get that redemption isn't for everyone

Yes people can do it but sometimes it's best to say it's irredeemable

Sephiroth has been through so many tragedies to the point,it feels like redemption is one big joke to him,cuz he already reached the point of no return

Personally I feel like the trope of "everything is forgivable" is overused or overlooked way too often,there are things in the world that can't forgive and sometimes punishment is better than forgiveness

In Sephiroth's case, I don't think forgiveness will change anything,rather it's impossible,no one who knows him is willing to forgive him,hence some may say he has no faults at all like Hojo cuz that guy is messed up AF

Take it like this: If a guy who commits an unforgivable crime and someone says he should be forgiven based only on the fact that he was abused or insane or he went through some traumatic shit etc,it would not only feel ridiculous, it's outright selfish

Should Sephiroth be forgiven for the Nibelheim Incident just bcuz it was a crime of passion or he was mentally unstable and should get off free of guilt? No,cuz he did something terrible to others and that should be accepted

I've seen too many cases of normalisation or glorification or defence of characters' faults and apparently "you're a bitch for pointing out others' faults" these days and "it's not nice to have criticisms"

I saw some deep toxic shit about normalised toxicity in fiction lately

I mean I love Seph,but god I'm heavily aware he's evil as hell

-🌹

Yup. Sephiroth's path is set in his mind. For what reason would he deviate from his path? He decided to continue the cycle of pain. And Cloud could've continued that cycle after him if it wasn't for Tifa.

I want to state this: I'm against Sephiroth being redeemed. One reason is that no character ever deserves redemption. Redemption is a complex, grueling process that involves self-reflection, remorse, and a genuine desire to change. It requires a willingness to confront your actions and the consequences you inflicted upon others. Sephiroth, so far, has done none of this. He felt justified in his actions. And the few times when he does acknowledge what he has done? He rubs it in Cloud's face, for goodness' sake. He did this in Advent Children, 7R and even the original FF7, especially during that one iconic scene that shall not be named. Sephiroth has displayed constant cruelty to Cloud, his party and the planet. What on Gaia justifies him deserving redemption? Because of his awful and traumatic past?

Let me say this: the events leading up to and following Sephiroth's birth and childhood were undeniably tragic, and he cannot be blamed for them in any way. However, as an adult with the ability to choose his own path, he made the decision to inflict harm upon others, especially those who ZERO involvement in his suffering.

And like I said before, introducing a potential redemption arc for Sephiroth would actually undermine Cloud's own arc and diminish its impact. Sephiroth serves as a warning to Cloud. He is his dark mirror and representing of what a "hero" could become.

I would also like to mention Aerith, who, like Cloud, serves as another mirror to Sephiroth and had a deeply traumatic past. However, instead of succumbing to darkness like Sephiroth, she remained kind and hopeful. Sephiroth's redemption may also conflict with her story and role as well.

To sum it up, redemption would require Sephiroth to question his beliefs and recognize the pain and suffering he has caused. He's not going to do that. He believes himself to be in the right, and the pain he caused to be "justice" in his mind.

And as you mentioned, it's clear that forgiveness is out of the question for him now. Cloud and Tifa, in particular, hold a deep hatred towards him and are determined to put an end to him. It sucks how Tifa's grudge with Sephiroth has been largely overlooked, both by the fandom and CANON (seriously, what were the writers thinking...). Let's not forget the sheer terror poor Tifa had in 7R when she saw Sephiroth in front of Jenova's pod.

Both she and Cloud had been scarred (literally and figuratively) by this man for the rest of their LIVES. They deserve every blow they can get on Sephiroth...

Anyways, rant over. Please stop trying to make Sephiroth "work". He was a sweet baby that became an evil bastard. Let's appreciate the good and bad of the Crisis Cutie!

(Opinion piece if it isn't obvious)

[giuilily]

the death scene/ending is indeed confusing and i'm still annoyed by it tbh lol but i'm fairly certain the Aerith that Cloud is seeing at the end is lifestream Aerith (which is why Red can sense her too). But, I do also think that she is alive in some other world/timeline now and it is likely that they will reunite because otherwise I do not see the point of all of this ~ defy destiny ~ stuff the games have been pushing (plus the lyrics to nptk). Why change a pivotal emotional scene into something vague and confusing if it's not going to be resolved later beyond "she dead and cloud is losing it". And yes, his grief is playing a part in him being somewhat delusional but I don't think it is only that. (also can I say i am upset we didn't get to see the water burial! I'm sure it's intentional for the cloud is delusional vibe but still) As for the terrier-verse, I was confused by which world/timeline their date was in before the end... I thought it was that one because Cloud wakes up in the wheelchair (i think?) and everyone knew that world was ending and accepted it which is in line withe the npc dialogue/lack of ability to make a real choice/sephiroth showing up at the end. But I also thought that was weird because where is Elmyra and is Zack off at reactor 6/shinra while they're on their date or has he died again already (probably lol). So I feel like that universe is.. gone? But that seems like a weird way to end that worlds story (and where did zack end up at the end) so maybe I am wrong. (wow sorry this got really long! did not know you could send an ask this long tbh lmaoo)

No worries for the long ask, anon! I enjoy reading people's thoughts on Rebirth's ending. I'm all too happy discussing it hahaha!

AND LITERALLY SAME.

I love Aerith, and the altar scene in Rebirth was very emotional, but I would have much rather things didn't end ambiguously. I would have accepted her death had they made a 1:1 remake.

But I'm not gonna complain if it gives us the possibility of getting her back in Part 3 lol. (Princess Guard and Great Gospel are waving 👀)

I also wanted to see a cinematic cutscene of the water burial, anon. It would have made such an emotional ending for Rebirth too! I feel like we won't see that scene until it shows up as a flashback to Cloud which will absolutely be heartbreaking.

And I agree. I've only played Remake this year and I initially thought that they can't stray too much from OG. But after beating both games, they've put in so much groundwork on the 'defying fate' theme and foreshadowed them reuniting in the end since Remake that they have to deliver on that somehow, otherwise it'd feel like a cop out. Like Cloud said in Red's date: "There's no point in wasting our time worrying about fate if we can't change it." and I'm gonna hold the devs to that since no one asked them to add in new themes to an almost 30 yo game lol.

And the dream date happened in Chihuahua/Spitz-verse! So Terrier-verse Aerith and Cloud should still be asleep with Marlene and Elmyra watching over them. Idk what happened to Zack in this verse but chances are, if he survived, I doubt he'll find a cure from Hojo.

I'm really curious where the Zack who we fought alongside with was sent to. Devs purposely didn't show a stamp to indicate where he was. I've read speculations that he got sent to Beagle-verse but who knows?

[plotbunny-bundle]

I have made a lot of AU

I am an idea person. I have come with so many ideas and aus. decided to list some. Tell me which one seem interesting

Thank you to my wonderful friends who let me blow up their inboxes and DMs with ideas.

Let's see what I remember. have been playing with Final Fantasy 7 since September (I had to check discord)

Made a Sephiroth Mpreg AU with @mooglemarauder

An au where young Sephiroth and Cloud could switch bodies

An au where Sephiroth could shapeshift since he was young. that was fun. Playing with idea of Sephiroth having a different experience of secretly looking off. If that would make him feel more or less human?

A time travel AU where mid FF7 plot cast meets Pre crisis core AGSZ (I want to write this one)

multiple Turk! Cloud AUs were made with Moogle

Another time travel because I need to make Cloud meet young Sephiroth. Make Cloud dad at AGS?

Another time travel au for Vincent or Cloud to learn/remember how weird Lucretia was

@mooglemarauder made a fun AU where Glenn came back for Sephiroth while he was still young and got Sephiroth to desert we played with

AU Where Sephiroth had a sibling

made an AU where we let Hojo time travel and decided to experiment on Cloud early so Cloud is kinda that sibling

Made an AU where Zack time traveled and tries to keep Sephiroth sane by helping him get more friend. Sephiroth Cloud friendship that may or may not end badly but better then normal.

An AU Where Zagan doesn't get Tifa in time. She gets to join Zack and comatose Cloud on that road trip.

au where we make Sephiroth and Aerith knew each other when young. and after Angeal deserts, Zack tries to get them hang out.

Fuck up AU where Hojo got breed Aerith and Sephiroth. Zack, Aerith and Sephiroth escape together.

many times of adding Nova the AGS mpreg baby to other aus

Others but I'm at 14 so I think I proved my point. Five months. This is why I try to call myself Plot Bunny.

I've also done so Batman and Star Wars AUs

I had

Cassandra Cain crashes Jason's lost days journey and won't let him kill

Damian in a raised by Bruce au switches with normal Damian and makes everyone sad

Make Bruce adopt Cassandra and Jason at the same time

Shoving my SWTOR OC into times where he (or worse they) doesn't belong

I have fun with a star wars Rebels and Swtor crossover every once in a while

Definitely did some Black Cat AUs. I remember a few of them still.

Ok so I love AUs and have a lot of fun with What Ifs. This was a fun look at my creativity. I should actually write some of these.

Happy to take questions if anything hits your fancy and would love fic recs.

[getvalentined]

I think that fandom as a whole, but particularly the FF7 fandom, needs to understand that there are two forms of "canon": the one shown in the source material itself, and the one written down in the meta materials like artbooks and Ultimanias. If there's a contradiction between the two, it should be assumed that the source material is correct.

The Ultimania series is interesting, and it can help fill in gaps for things that we don't know. It's also almost universally known across multiple franchises to get ton of things that we do know very wrong—even when the creators themselves confirm plot points contrary to what's written in the books.

My personal favorite example of this is the Chrono series Ultimania, which says in no uncertain terms that Prometheus from Chrono Cross is not Robo from Chrono Trigger. Meanwhile, the people who actually wrote both Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger have always been very clear that Prometheus is Robo. This is a major plot point about a main party member that you can pick up quite easily by playing both games, and the Ultimania got it completely wrong.

Another, more pertinent example: when Vincent was killed in 1977, Lucrecia was already pregnant. We know this from both the OG and from Dirge. The Ultimania says that she gave birth to Sephiroth around 1980. This is literally physiologically impossible.

If the game gives us a year, over and over, and then some piece of meta comes along and says that it was actually a different year the entire time, the meta is wrong. Full stop. The meta is wrong.

This is particularly frustrating with FF7 because the Compilation is staggeringly internally consistent, to the point that the opening cutscene from the First SOLDIER battle royale mobile game (RIP) fits perfectly into place in a way that makes the in-universe timeline make more sense, not less. A two minute cutscene filled in a time gap that had been in place for decades, in such a way that it clarified what we already knew (Gillian was no longer active in the Science Department after 1977, Hojo was not given control of Project S until Gast left) and confirmed some things we've assumed for ages in spite of lacking concrete evidence (Lucrecia stayed on with the Science Department for years after Sephiroth was born) without contradicting anything.

The one instance I can think of where the Compilation actually overtly retcons itself is in Crisis Core, where the research notes in the Shinra Mansion basement say that Jenova was discovered and confirmed to be a Cetra in 1977. Her discovery date is literally printed on her helmet (October 10, 1959) right alongside the date she was sealed up in the Nibelheim reactor (July 2, 1967), and the latter date is a whole decade prior to 1977.

In the OG these dates were redacted (written as "X year, X month, X day"), so it's clearly an intentional change—but there's a really simple in-universe explanation for this apparent retcon.

To put it plainly: Gast lied. Hollander says in Crisis Core that nobody knows where the main Jenova sample is stored, not even Hojo—but Gast must have, since he was the one who was actually in control of all divisions of the Jenova Project. If he kept information that integral to the future of the project from his colleagues, why would he hesitate to fabricate dates in his easily accessible research notes?

One easily explainable retcon doesn't make a book of meta that is littered with similarly ludicrous claims correct, much less correct in direct contradiction to the actual games it's supposed to be sourced from.

[rainbowcarousels]

As I'm making notes for JBSWM(2), I'm collecting a lot of my thoughts of Genesis's parentage so here is a splurge of them.

It’s likely Genesis was the first baby born in the Jenova project. It’s been confirmed he and Angeal pre-date Sephiroth and given the meaning of his name, I’d say Genesis being first makes the most sense. As such, it also makes sense that Gast - a man obsessed with the Cetra - would be the person to provide the other half of the genetics of the first baby born with ‘Cetran’ biology.

Considering Gast named Aerith, calling the beginning child of a new project Genesis makes a lot of sense. As does putting his fingers in that pie - or in this case, likely petri dish.

When asked about Genesis’s parentage, they made a point of saying they didn’t want to reveal that just now.  If it was just another random third scientist in the Jenova project, there would be no reason not to say so. Therefore whoever it is has to have some importance and Gast would fit the bill.

Genesis and Aerith have more than a passing resemblance to one another. Their designs for Ever Crisis especially so given that there is the lopsided red designed outfit for Aerith that screams Genesis. You can see what I mean here.

It’s not the only echo between them. Aerith’s final cast is Holy while Genesis’s is Apocalypse, almost like two different sides of the same coin. They are both headstrong and chaotic people, but with a deep spiritual connection as that drives them. Even their parting words are an echo of each other - both promising to return.

There’s something weird about Genesis’s genes. In Deepground, the elite - the Tsviets - are given Genesis’s cells but the interesting part is that it doesn’t appear as if they were weird because of the Jenova cells but something else. A big deal is made of Weiss being ‘immaculate’ in that he has no Jenova in him yet he has some of Genesis in him.

As such, there has to be a significant enough shift between Jenova cells and what they had from Genesis in Deepground. It does beg the question then: is degradation only worsened by an influx of Jenova cells? Like the body is out of balance and begins to mutate or degrade or both. This had led me to wonder if it’s possible that Genesis and Aerith were in fact full siblings, not half, and while it’s not my personal theory, I do think it’s POSSIBLE this happened for a few reasons:

Gast’s lab in Icicle Inn is remarkably set up for a man who’s been on the run for two years. This has made me think they’re actually hiding in plain sight in the same lab that he used when they were excavating Jenova from the Northern Crater.  Given that we know he meets Ifalna there, it’s possible that Ifalna was a participant of the Jenova Project whether she knew it or not.  I do believe at some point, Ifalna was part of the project - even if she didn’t know what it was. When Hojo catches up to them at Icicle Inn, he not only calls Ifalna by name - something he doesn’t do often with test subjects - but the way he speaks to her is an accusation, as if he knew her but hadn’t known she was Cetran. “I've been searching for you, Ifalna... or should I say, Cetra!” This aligns with one of the Ultimania’s that notes that when Gast left, he freed Ifalna to run with him. This implies that Ifalna had been at Shinra. My best guess is  Ifalna had been working with Gast and the team without ever having seen Jenova. Then she found out what Jenova really was and tried to stop it, tipping her hand in the process to Gast about her heritage and they left before anyone else on the team could find out anything.  The reason I don’t personally subscribe to this is because they wouldn’t know what she was enough to want to use one of her eggs in ‘77, given Gast doesn’t leave till ‘83 and the entire project is supposedly shut down in ‘84 when Lucrecia left. (Don’t get me started on the fact it sounds like Lucrecia left after Sephiroth’s birth which logically would need to have been ‘78/ ‘79 for first soldier to make sense and that this means she was literally in the same building as her son for five years) It makes more sense that he is Gast’s - a materia expert in his own right so it makes Genesis’s connection to materia an echo - but not Ifalna’s to me.

The fact Deepground seems to be a law unto itself and very isolated sort of makes it work a little better in the world. The entire Scarlet has access to it threw me from Remake, but why would someone like Scarlet tip her hand when she knows something other execs (especially Hojo) doesn't?

Within a few years of the Wutai War’s commencement, Genesis, one of the survivors of Jenova Project G, enlisted as a SOLDIER. The scientists of Shinra were eager to learn about Genesis’ potential having witnessed Sephiroth’s superhuman strength, and the reaction of Genesis’ cells with Mako infusion was carefully studied. Genesis, along with his friend and fellow product of Project Gillian, Angeal, were dubbed SOLDIER Type G. In Deepground, this was no surprise, since all of the colored Tsviets had been injected with Genesis’ genes. It was a prerequisite to earning a color title, and becoming one of the strongest and most gifted soldiers within the facility.

We get this little bit from Deepground which if you remember that the Jenova Project pronounced Genesis (and Angeal) not Jenova enough becomes really interesting. It’s almost as if they couldn’t tell when they were babies so they wrote them off only to realise there may be something there as they got older, but Deepground was literally set up to study the ‘unique’ genetics inside Genesis and became the lab version of the wild west in the process. Why would you do that  with someone who you don’t think is interesting enough to keep? It’s almost as if someone interfered. While I tend to judge Gast harshly, I could believe this was him - or could just have been Hojo making sure his kid got the traumatic childhood. It wouldn't hurt that he hated Gast either.

When it comes to using magic, we see words used in the casting when it's done by someone with a strong connection to magic. We see it in Aerith, we see it Yuffie and if we look at his limit break literally being the text of LOVELESS, we also see it in Genesis. If you add in his unusual connection to the lifestream (even his Avatar form uses it) then Genesis's connection to the planet seems to be stronger than most. It feels as if this is supposed to be important but as of yet, I don't know why.

I'm sure I'll add to this list at some point but I needed a way to get my thoughts down and this ended up being it.

[rottenpumpkin13]

AGS have to go on a mission in Wall-market, and end up having to cross dress. They need important information from Don Corneo. What kind of shenanigans would go down?

The Don Corneo Mission That Did Not Go As Planned

• After a Turk mission goes wrong and the cleanup falls under SOLDIER's jurisdiction, Lazard summons the first-class trio to the briefing room, as no one else is better suited for the job. <- the lie Lazard repeats to himself after emailing them in hopes he'll speak the truth into existence.

Angeal: You asked to see us, director?

Lazard: I'll be direct. One of the Turks—Cissnei—went missing in Wall Market three days ago while she was investigating suspicious activity related to Don Corneo—

*Everyone groans*

Lazard: —and seeing as search and rescue operations fall under SOLDIER's jurisdiction, you three will go to Wall Market and look for her.

Sephiroth: Understood. We can leave right now.

Lazard: ..... It's not as straightforward as it seems. Accessing Corneo's mansion requires a specific type of person. We can't afford to compromise our cover and jeopardize Cissnei's safety.

Genesis: Ah, I see. Don Corneo tends to talk when he's in the presence of beautiful women, so this mission requires beautiful women.

Lazard: Three beautiful women to be exact.

Angeal:

Sephiroth:

Genesis:

Angeal: NO!

Lazard: Yes.

Genesis: WHY?

Lazard: Because I can't trust the girls from Second and Third Class with this. It will have to be you three.

Sephiroth: I don't understand. Where are we to find beautiful women on such short notice?

Angeal: HE MEANS US.

Sephiroth: I understood the crossdressing part. I mean where will we find two other beautiful women apart from myself on such short notice?

Genesis: SON OF A—

• Getting the trio into their disguises is both challenging and surprisingly simple. Sephiroth's hair is easy to style, and he fits well in a dress. Genesis is a chameleon and insists on doing his own makeup. Unfortunately Angeal feels extremely self-conscious in his outfit.

*Angeal—wearing a corset, long skirt, and wig—stands in front of the mirror*

Angeal: Nope. This is never gonna work. Corneo will clock me from a mile away. Don't you think so, Zack?

Angeal:

Angeal: Zack? Where did you—WHY ARE YOU ONE ONE KNEE?

Zack: I will make you the happiest wife imaginable.

Angeal: IS THAT A RING POP?

Zack: I'm poor but I'm a good man.

Angeal: GET UP.

• Meanwhile, Lazard is lacing Sephiroth into a corset, marveling at how small his waist is and surprised at how well Sephiroth is handling it, with his glittery silver hair, black dress, and makeup.

Lazard: You look great, and I'm proud to see how unbothered you are by this.

Sephiroth: Studies show that symmetrical, aesthetically pleasing female faces distract individuals and trigger the halo effect. Such women can say anything, and people will be in awe of their beauty.

Lazard: I don't think that's true.

Sephiroth: Here comes Reno. Observe.

*Reno walks up to them*

Sephiroth: When I was four, Professor Hojo made me witness the birth of a newborn lamb and then slaughtered it to show that despite the miracle of birth, death is inevitable.

Reno: Nice tits.

Sephiroth: Thank you.

Lazard: What the fuck

• Meanwhile, Genesis should be thrilled at the prospect of dressing up and performing—he does look striking in a red dress and red wig—but he can't fully enjoy it. He seems to be the only one troubled by his uncanny resemblance to Cissnei while in disguise.

Genesis: This is ridiculous. I look exactly like Cissnei.

Cloud: I don't know why you're upset, sir. You look very pretty and this will hardly be a problem.

*A mailman walks up to Genesis and delivers a live chicken, addressed to Cissnei*

Genesis: What in the goddess' name is the meaning of this!?

Cloud: Oh! It seems that people think you're Cissnei and are delivering her stuff to you.

Genesis: And what would she need a chicken for!? Dinner?

*Cloud covers the chicken's ears*

Cloud: Please don't insult your child.

Genesis:

*Angeal rushes by, dragging his leg which has Zack clinging into it like the jaws of life*

Zack: AT LEAST LET ME BE YOUR DINNER.

Angeal: YOU MEAN TAKE ME TO DINNER?

Zack: DID I STUTTER?

• Lazard rounds them up before sending them off for one last briefing.

Lazard: Are you all ready?

Sephiroth: Professor Hojo once gave me a cup of mud, claiming it was chocolate milk to condition me to despise chocolate, and ultimately deprive me of the dopamine-driven joy associated with eating it.

Genesis, holding the chicken: We're ready.

Angeal, with Zack clinging onto his waist and sobbing: I'm ready too.

Tseng: And I'm ready to quit. Lazard, these men are wholly incapable of completing this mission without drawing attention to themselves.

Lazard: Nonsense. I trust these men with my life.

*A mailman walks up to Genesis and delivers a jar of popcorn kernels*

Genesis: What even is this !?

Sephiroth: Choking to death on popcorn is possible as the small kernels can become lodged in the airway, leading to inhalation, suffocation, and a painful death. Professor Hojo told me this to deter me from eating popcorn.

Genesis: Sephiroth, your breasts look fantastic.

Sephiroth: Thank you.

Angeal: ZACK, LET GO.

Zack: I CAN'T! I LOVE A GIRL WHO CAN BEAT MY ASS!

*Tseng turns to Lazard*

Tseng: You must not value your life very much.

Lazard:

• They all get dropped off at Wall Market as Corneo's candidates. But they're stopped on the bridge leading to the mansion by a mailman who delivers a pepper shaker to Genesis, addressed to Cissnei.

Genesis: AGAIN? What am I supposed to do with a chicken, popcorn kernels, and black pepper?

Sephiroth: Maybe they're items to care for the chicken.

Genesis: Nonsense. Why would I need to care for this thing?

*The chicken clucks and cuddles up to Genesis, lovingly*

Genesis: I have never loved anything more than I love this creature. This is what joy feels like.

Sephiroth: You had chicken for lunch yesterday and expressed the same sentiment.

*Genesis starts crying*

Sephiroth: You went back for seconds.

*Genesis cries hader*

Angeal: Hey! Is that the vice president coming over here?

*Rufus walks up to them*

Rufus: Gentlemen, before you enter Don Corneo's mansion, you should know that from what we've gathered, Cissnei is alive and possibly being held somewhere inside. It would be best to let Corneo choose a bride while the rest of you search for her.

Angeal: Copy.

*Rufus looks at Genesis*

Rufus: That's odd. I thought Rhapsodos was also on this mission.

Genesis: How dare you—

Rufus: Miss, you are the most stunning woman I've ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on.

Genesis, blushing: !?

Sephiroth: My mother was the most stunning woman I've ever seen. Of course, I only ever looked at her through a photograph, which is now lost forever and can never be retrieved—much like my mother, Glenn, Rosen, my childlike wonder, and joy, among other things.

Rufus: Sephiroth, your breasts look eye-catching.

Sephiroth: Thank you.

*Just then, Zack crawls onto the bridge railing from the river, soaking wet and holding a bouquet of roses*

Zack: 🎶 My love—

Angeal: NO!

*He pushes him back into the water*

• Once they're inside, the bride selection begins, and the three are introduced to Don Corneo. Sephiroth struggles to refrain from summoning Masamune and shoving it down Don Corneo's throat. Corneo is creepy and invasive, and Angeal is relieved that Sephiroth and Genesis look more feminine than him. Now he can focus on locating Cissnei without having to deal with Corneo directly.

*Don Corneo grips Angeal's shoulder*

Don Corneo: I love a girl who can beat my ass!

Angeal: Say WHAT?

Don Corneo: Congrats! You're tonight's lucky girl! You beat the nut case who can't shut up about her terrible things and the one with the pet chicken!

Sephiroth: Chicken meat is an excellent source of lean protein, and contains essential vitamins like B6 and B12.

Genesis: Motherless children are statistically more likely to lead unhappy lives due to the absence of maternal care and nurturing in their formative years.

Sephiroth:

*Don Corneo grabs Angeal's hand and hauls him off*

Don Corneo: Come along, I had the bedroom prepared for us!

Angeal: GUYS, DON'T JUST STAND THERE! DO SOMETHING!

*Sephiroth turns to Genesis*

Sephiroth: He wants us to act accordingly to our roles as female friends.

Genesis: Girlhood it is.

*They turn to him*

Genesis: Good luck, sweetie~ I'm so jealous of you!

Sephiroth: I too wish I could be romantically pursued by a greasy creep with no respect for women~

Angeal: SCREW YOU BOTH!

• Once Corneo and Angeal are gone, Corneo's lackeys naturally approach Sephiroth and Genesis, assuming they're the available leftovers.

• Sephiroth is ready to pack a punch, but there is suddenly no need to, as the same moment Genesis raises his foot to kick one of the lackeys between the legs, the lid of the black pepper shaker he had been holding pops off and a bunch of black pepper flies into his face.

• Genesis sneezes.

• The sneezing frightens the chicken, who flies out of Genesis' grasp and tips over the popcorn kernel jar.

• The popcorn kernels fly into the lackeys' eyes.

• The chicken hungrily attacks their eyes.

• One of the lackeys falls down and this presses a button that was in his pocket.

• The button makes a trap door in the floor open up, and Cissnei walks out.

*While the chicken is still angrily attacking the lackeys*

Cissnei: Hey guys!

Sephiroth: Well that was remarkably easy.

Cissnei: Yeah. Genesis, I see you got my orders. It worked, huh?

Genesis: Wait, all of that was on purpose!?

Cissnei: Duh. I never take a mission unprepared.

Sephiroth: But how did you know the pepper would fly into Genesis' nose?

Cissnei: Same way I guaranteed the kernels would fly out; I loosened the cap. And I made sure the chicken was hungry.

Genesis: Well, this is terrible for Angeal. If we were certain your rescue was guaranteed, Angeal wouldn't have had to go with Don Corneo.

*There's a series of screams, crashes and an explosion before Don Corneo comes running out screaming. Zack is chasing after him with a flaming sword*

Zack: HOW DARE YOU ATTEMPT TO WOO MY FIANCÉ, YOU CRETIN.

*Angeal runs after them*

Angeal: WE'RE! NOT! ENGAGED!

Genesis: Wow. Who knew Puppy could be so loyal?

Sephiroth: I had a puppy once.

*They look at him, surprised*

Sephiroth: He was a robotic hound used in my childhood combat training. I grew fond of him, so Professor Hojo dismantled him, teaching me that machines are incapable of human emotion and I should be too.

Cissnei: Sephiroth your boobs look so good!

Sephiroth: I know.

[epicwin64]

Here’s how I think part 3 will go down (I’m betting it will be called Reunion or Resolution given the Re- naming convention they’re using)

Icicle Inn/Snowboard mini game

Great Glacier

Gaia’s Cliff

Whirlwind Maze

Fourth Jenova boss fight

The party gets the black materia back

Sephiroth possesses Cloud

Cloud gives Sephiroth the black materia

*The party tries to stop Cloud, knowing that Sephiroth is tricking him

*You know Cloud will be possessed because his eyes are the same shade of green as Sephiroth’s and his voice sounds…not normal.

WEAPON awakens/The Reunion

Tifa has a nightmare where she encounters Sephiroth

Escape from Junon (This time Tifa doesn’t MacGyver herself out of the gas chamber with a key, but she decides to go a different route from the others. The escape happens the day BEFORE they’re all executed, unlike the original).

*Reeve will tell Rufus to delay the execution, which causes him to suspect that Reeve is a spy.

Slap fight

The party searches for Cloud

Mideel

Huge materia 1: Corel Train

Huge materia 2: Fort Condor

Huge materia 3: Wutai

Ultimate Weapon fight 1

Tifa restores Cloud’s memory

Huge materia 4: Junon Underwater Reactor

Submarine assault

Sunken Gelnika submarine

*An optional location in the original that houses Yuffie’s ultimate weapon and has a secret cutscene with Reno and Rude. It will be mandatory here.

Huge materia 5: Rocket Town

Cid apologizes to Shera

Vincent and Lucrecia reunite (briefly)

Second encounter with Bugenhagen

*Intermission 3*: Zack learns of Aerith’s death

Bugenhagen talks about Holy

*Bugenhagen reveals that the reason why Aerith died is that she knew that her fate was sealed despite everything the party has done. He mentions that Holy requires its owner to pray to Minerva, the goddess who controls the Lifestream.

Ultimate Weapon fight 2

Sephiroth takes control of Diamond Weapon

*If Sephiroth can control Cloud, then imagine what would happen if he controlled what is basically Godzilla

Zack sacrifices himself to save the party

Rufus fires Sister Ray, dying in the process (which conveniently destroys Sephiroth’s forcefield)

Raid on Midgar

Final Turks battle (Reno, Rude, and Elena)

Heretic Hojo boss fight

Under the Highwind ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

*It will be more obvious, but still subtle enough to avoid the M rating. Idk, show Cloud and Tifa making out or something.

Northern Cave

Jenova SYNTHESIS

The party is teleported into the Planet’s Core

*Sephiroth gloats (like he usually does) and uses a painful spell to temporarily debilitate everyone. And if any Sephiroth fangirls are reading this, I think he’ll be shirtless in this scene because he’s not wearing one when he’s trapped in that crystal thingy

Bizarro Sephiroth

Safer Sephiroth

*Sephiroth teleports the party into the Edge of Creation

Cloud vs Sephiroth

Sephiroth’s defeat

The Highwind escapes the Northern Cave

Meteorfall

*We also see that Tseng survived his encounter with Sephiroth, but he’s in the hospital

The Turks regret what they’ve done and decide not to be evil

Aerith is technically not dead, but she’s basically a spirit now and manipulates the Lifestream into finally destroying Meteor. Her spirit (as well as Zack’s) use the Lifestream along with Minerva to destroy Meteor before it kills everyone.

The day is saved, and everyone lives happily ever after

*I think the final shot should be the party (minus Aerith because, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, SHE DEAD) standing on the deck of the Highwind as the sun rises. Maybe that shot should be the game’s boxart I guess

Credits

Post credits scene/epilogue (it’s the scene of Nanaki and his cubs overlooking the ruins of Midgar from the original)

Teases what they’ll do for Advent Children or smn idek

[aonemanarmy]

The rebellion displayed in the ex-Turk was hardly surprising. Jenova knew that this outcome was likely from the information she'd plucked from various sources – one of which being Lucrecia herself – all of which were rich with knowledge. Vincent might not have been all that interesting in the grand scheme of things, but he could prove to be a useful tool if she could bring him to heel.

“Nor am I the one responsible for its' death now. That is a result of the doings of your own species.”

Control had never been her objective. Jenova had no interest in controlling any of the planets she had visited throughout the course of her ancient existence. All of them were inconsequential, only useful for the sustenance they could provide before she continued on her journey across the cosmos. It was intriguing how humans thought that their tiny world was worth anything more than that, as if it truly mattered beyond their own narrow perspective.

Let them think what they would.

As Vincent staggered back struck by pain Jenova noted not for the first time the growing frequency of the attacks. It was obvious that they were getting worse over time and she knew precisely why that was: the entity imprisoned within the pitiful human was struggling to free itself and seize control and eventually it would win. Jenova knew it was only a matter of time, since Lucrecia herself had foreseen as much, which was why the woman had put a fail-safe in place as a last-ditch resort to save the gunman. However, that particular item was now in Jenova's possession and she had the knowledge to not only use it, but control it if she so wished.

With the entity raging within its' flesh prison – Chaos she believed it was called in the human tongue – Jenova allowed her consciousness to reach out and touch upon the orb of materia slotted into Sephiroth's pauldron. As soon as she did so a pale blue light bathed the immediate area and with it the raging beast was quieted once more. It had no use at this time, but Jenova knew that it would eventually and that use would largely depend on what the ex-Turk chose to do before all was said and done.

“You think to threaten when you do not even realize what you truly are.”

It was obvious that Vincent didn't know what Hojo or Lucrecia had done to him. Perhaps he thought of himself merely as playing host to random monsters, but there was more to it than that. After all, how could he know that he was actually the vessel of one of the Planet's own weapons? It was quite the little joke that Lucrecia had played upon the gunman as in doing so she had not only destroyed his life but rendered one of the defenses of the Planet useless too.

What a fool she was, but it was hardly a surprise for their kind. If anything, Lucrecia had delivered unto Jenova a gift, one which she could use however she saw fit.

“Know this,” Jenova spoke, tapping into the materia once more to cause the pain within the man to spike sharply. “I do not feel fear, and that should you prove a nuisance I will use you to personally destroy her with your own hands. You have already failed her once, do not fail her again.”

The deadpanned expression on Sephiroth's face was even more disturbing while Jenova communed with the Ex-Turk. His serpentine eyes were more pronounced and elusive; had Vincent been a mortal, he might have felt the creature's thoughts boring into his mind, forcing every bit of fear to the surface. He lacked the ability to feel true fear, but when it came to someone he cared about, that was when his walls began to break. It was the perfect breeding ground for Jenova's conniving schemes. Vincent knew this all too well. It was a tactic Turks would often use on their own victims. Yet for all of Shinra's most intelligent operatives, none held a candle to an alien who now wielded the most powerful 'weapon' in the world

Even if Vincent had no intention of running, there was no end to the darkness filling the atmosphere. It was as though the Temple itself had become the abyss. However, Vincent had encountered Jenova a few times already. He was aware that this was all an illusion, and he had fought her along side Cloud and the others only recently upon Aerith's death. Yet each time they encountered her, she seemed to become stronger. This time, however, Vincent was face to face with Jenova alone-- his weakness on full display. Regardless of whether or not he was capable of defeating Jenova solo or not, that didn't matter to him. She could break his body, but his mind was another matter. As Sephiroth's figure took a step closer, Vincent likewise took another step back, intent on keeping the distance between them. Vincent's eyes widened in horror. Lucrecia had tried to take her own life...? It caused him to halt in his steps, his voice dropped to almost a whisper. "...What?!" Could Jenova indeed obliterate Lucrecia from the entire planet? He had witnessed how anyone who Jenova's cells could be manipulated, some of them even turning into dark cloaked figures-- the very ones Cloud and the others had been following all this time. He had seen what they all became-- mindless puppets following the call of someone or something. Would this also be Lucrecia's fate as well? Or would she become a part of the corrupt Lifestream Sephiroth wanted to absorb? Questions tore through Vincent's mind, yet even after studying the books of Nibelheim and hearing Bugenhagen's wisdom, there was no telling how the Jenova cells inside Lucrecia would react if Jenova could take full control. The only one who might have had some knowledge was Hojo. Vincent immediately grimaced and shook his head, shunning the idea. Vincent's grip on his gun became stronger, Jenova's words tugging at his heart strings as he knew she had intended. "You do not control this planet, Jenova... neither does Sephiroth," Vincent's eyes focused on Sephiroth's figure in front of him, conscious of his surroundings should. The fact that Jenova was bothering to threaten Vincent this much spoke volumes. She saw Vincent as some sort of threat, just as much as the collective body of misfits within Cloud's little AVALANCHE band. But how exactly, he couldn't rightly tell. As the tension began to rise, Chaos's power tore through Vincent once again, almost making Vincent to stagger from the sudden shock of pain in his chest. And yet once again, Sephiroth's body glowed a blue color and Vincent was able to control Chaos's powers inside him. It was at this moment that Vincent realized a pattern. Every time he was within proximity of Sephiroth, he could control Chaos' powers. But when out of range, he was at the mercy of his own feeble efforts. However, Vincent quickly pushed the thoughts away in the event that Jenova was plucking at his mind yet again. "But should that ever come to pass..." His eyes began to glow a light amber, his words directed to both Jenova and Sephiroth. "You dare lay a hand on Lucrecia... and I will hunt you down for the rest of my undying days."

[icharchivist]

I think I vaguely know who Lucrecia is, like Sephiroth's biological mother, right?

Did she die?

I'm unclear on whether she's alive in the present

Lucrecia is, indeed, Sephiroth's biological mother.

and yeah her current situation is a bit difficult to explain. Technically she's alive, but she's in a sort of slumber/coma so she's out of commission still

her parts of the stories are in late OG and in Dirge of Cerberus (Vincent's centric sequel game) and it's a bit far in my mind, but from what i recall:

Lucrecia was one of the scientist working at Shinra and who was supervising the Jenova Project with Hojo, who was also her husband.

she is also the student of Grimoire Valentine, Vincent's father, so she had known Vincent for a very long time. Vincent then became a Turk after his father's death, and he was especially set to protect Lucrecia and Hojo, and their experimentation.

Vincent fell in love with Lucrecia then, and while she did get flirty with him, science was always much more important to her, and it's why she got along so well with her husband. (malpractice powercouple).

The Jenova project was all about utilizing Jenova's cells in order to unlock the deepest secrets of the earth and Cetra, and various groups of scientist tried to do so in some level. One of those projects that was close, but not quite enough, was to insert Jenova's cells into babies who were just born, but even that ended up going off the rails, and two of the most successful experiment from this specific project, called Project G, ended up deteriorating as they grew older. (Project G's two kids were also incidentally Sephiroth's best friends growing up. until shit hit the fan.)

Realizing that things weren't going well and that their scientist rivals were the ones moving through it, and seeing that babies had taken on the cells, Hojo AND Lucrecia started Project S, and inserted Jenova's cells into her when she was pregnant.

Fearing for her life, Vincent disobeyed his orders as a Turk to beg Lucrecia to rethink all of this. instead Hojo had Vincent locked away and experiments made on him.

Project S turned out to be successful, but after Sephiroth's birth, Lucrecia was filled with regrets and did realize she had gone too far. Hojo would not step away though, and Lucrecia had no choice but to run away.

if i'm not mistaken, the fact she still bore those cells when she was pregnant poisoned her body. In a normal situation she was going to die.

So instead she found a magical cave in which she could lock herself in ice, in a slumber she could only wake up from years into the future, hoping her knowledge of the experiments they made would be of use then.

Meanwhile Hojo raised Sephiroth with coldness and violence to turn him into a weapon of war, and Sephiroth was not made aware of his parentage except that his mother was "Jenova". Sephiroth grew under Hojo's tutelage without knowledge of Lucrecia. (people have noticed though that Jenova, who can change her appearance, has appeared to Sephiroth with traits similar to Lucrecia, even more so to convince him she was his mother)

After being experimented on, Vincent ended up locked under the caves of the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim, locked in a coffin, unable to leave but also unwilling, considering it his sin that he never could stop Lucrecia and Hojo, not being able to save Lucrecia, nor being able to do anything regarding Sephiroth -- not to mention he has been turned into a monster, and how he was a Turk who had done a lot of terrible things to allow Lucrecia and Hojo to get on their researches.

So when Cloud and co wakes him up, Vincent originally wants nothing to do with all of this until they mention they're looking for Sephiroth, and he puts together it was Lucrecia's child, and so he should work to stop him, because maybe it'll excuse his sins.

If you go with Vincent to the Cave Lucrecia locked herself in, she will manage to break from her slumber for a while enough to express her regrets, and it's the way we learn about the flashbacks in the OG and the way we learn Sephiroth isn't Jenova's son to start with. (because all i mentioned are things we either learn there, or in DOC, so before this point in the game you're led to accept Sephiroth must be Jenova's son.. right?)

But after passing on a special power to Vincent to entrust him with repairing her mistakes, she goes back into slumber.

In Dirge of Cerberus, which is set about 3 years after the OG, Vincent still regularly goes to this cave to look over Lucrecia hoping she will wake up one day. She never had.

so yeah that's what's up with Lucrecia. Girlboss who malpracticed too close to the sun and Vincent's lost love.

The more u know.