#lucrecia's lament

[that-weird-skeleton-bastard]

I drew alternate outfits for Raz Psychonauts two!

inspired by @dailyraz 's post :P

Close-ups below! 👇🏼

i am very proud of myself for that Hollis' hot streak design

haha Joker card Raz go brrr

[jnixz]

Knit part of Lucrecia's Lament

ref'd from this photoset bc uh new computer things

one thing im learning from watercolor is how difficult details can be, and how maybe i need to look things from far away instead of closer

[fanfictionaddictee]

Final Fantasy VII- Sephiroth Fanfiction Favs

This is a fanfic rec list that recommends stories that focus on or heavily feature Sephiroth. :) All ships, no ships, genfic. Nothing is tagged, so heed the fic warnings if you're sensitive to stuff.

Final Fantasy VII OG- Canon only Fic Recs (Compilation characters like Genesis and Angeal do not appear)

The Monsters Within by TheCalamity (The Nightmare Begins, A Cold-Hearted Boy, Minute to Breath)

A story about the destruction of endurance. What does it cost - as individuals, as a species - to survive? We are how it ends. [A contemplation and analysis of the original 1997 Final Fantasy VII. Chronicles the Jenova Project, Sephiroth's childhood with ShinRa, and the events of FFVII through the lens of Vincent Valentine. This series is a deep dive into the philosophy, themes, characters, dynamics, world, lore and message of OG FFVII.]

This quite possibly the story I've reread the most that I'll recommend on this blog. Banging soundtrack, gorgeous art, brilliant formatting, terror, awesome, gut-wrenching-- all words to describe this story. The author doesn't shy away from the grotesque, and there are tender moments woven through an epic saga about terrible people desperately seeking connection and meaning. I don't think I've ever read anything like in any fandom ever. I don't know if I ever will.

Lament of Memories by CryptCreeperX

From test-tube freak to First-Class SOLDIER to super villain to a quirky mechanic suffering from a bad case of amnesia… This is a strange tale of how the end of the world, a band of misfits, forgotten memories, and raunchy romance novels push a fallen angel to rise again.

It's a tragedy this is incomplete because I needed more of this 7 years ago. T_T

Earthing by Grenespek

Gast survives being shot by Hojo, only to wake from a coma seventeen years later. Searching for his wife and daughter, events find him in Nibelheim on the day Sephiroth disappeared. A Sephiroth redemption exploration.

I love me three things in a Sephiroth story: 1) a Sephiroth that subsumes Jenova 2) Terrifying Sephiroth 3) Sciency Sephiroth. Told from the rotating perspective of terrifically flawed Gast, an in-character badass Aerith, and a Sephiroth that I can definitely see being the progeny of two insane scientists and a space alien.

Our Shining Past by Tocasia FFN | Ao3 @tocasia

A series of old-style (original game mostly, no CC) Sephiroth and Zack Friendship stories (all genfic) from a list of 100 prompts, in order of completion. Variously dark, silly, cute. Mostly one-shots; chapter format is a lie. Same AU? maybe… or maybe not. Halfway there on 7/1/2018!

Consider this blanket recommendation of all of Tocasia's works. Pair impeccable writing with nuanced characterization, humor, action, excellent integration of the game-mechanic style worldbuilding that is so rare in video-game fics, and you've got this series of one-shots. Zack's character is so much more interesting to me pre-crisis core, and unfortunately fics that explore what canon jossed 15 years ago are slim or mostly gone from the internet. Other favorites of mine from them include God of Paperwork and The World that Will Never Be, a Kingdom Hearts crossover.

A Good Son by myeve123

AR Ending for Nibelheim Incident. After Hojo fished him out from Nibelheim Mako Reactor, Sephiroth sets about cleaning up the mess. Preferably before the chemical imbalance in his brain drowns him for good.

Ugh, this story need so much more love than it's gotten. I'm a slut for stories that play around with the relationship between Lucrecia, Vincent, and Sephiroth, and take it in a true canon divergence! Excellent visual writing, and fast paced. Unfortunately, all the images are broken.

This Family Is Alright by axilet

A series of stories exploring the dysfunctional dynamic between mad science sibs Gast, Hojo and Lucrecia, and their son Sephiroth who they're completely unfit to raise. Just imagine what the poor kid will be like once he's all grown up. Sad Uncle Vincent tries to stage an intervention but you know how that turns out.

An oldie but goodie that I first encountered on FFN some years ago now, but I misplaced the link; now archived on ao3. How To Train Your Super Soldier Son (to become an insane destroyer of worlds) is the Sephiroth-centric fic of the series, and also the first one I read.

They Were Monsters by Yinza @yinza

In the midst of his breakdown in the Shinra mansion and desperate for answers, Sephiroth breaks open the locked basement door to find the man who might be his father… But though Vincent presents him with possibilities he hadn't imagined, Sephiroth struggles with who to trust, and what path he might follow--Jenova's, or his own.

Yinza is another ruler of horror. Actually maybe I'm just a slut for horror there's a lot of those recs on this list lol. Anyway, this fic is so well-written. If a sense of creeping dread is the sensation you seek, look not further than this story. For a not-Sephiroth centric rec, I must include their story No Moms Die, which according to my ao3 history I have 32 times @_@. If we exclude the chapter updates, I've reread it more than times since it finished :D It's that good.

Final Fantasy VII Compilation (includes Advent Children and Crisis Core)

To Be Human by LadyKF LadyKF On FFN On Ao3 [For Archive Users Only]

The world seems black and white at a glance, but the truth is never so easy. Where one draws the line between human and monster is a lot less clear when motive and deed don’t match, and a change in form is only proof of something that has been there all along. (Angel's Wings rewrite, Crisis Core fix-it.)

Ahh I was obsessed with Angel's Wings while it was updating, and To Be Human and it's compilation side stories blew the first story out of the water. The worldbuilding! The writing! The jump straight into action! The CANON DIVERGENCE!!! We all read fanfic here, we all know how rare an actual 'canon divergence' story is that actually sticks within canon without being a lazy rehash? This story is THE fix-it.

Be Not Afraid by Tiffany_Park On FFN

Hollander to Angeal: "Jenova's power has passed on to you completely." What does it mean to have received "Jenova's power"? Chances are it's not pretty. (Yeah, it was pretty ugly in Crisis Core. It's worse in this AU because Hojo got involved.) Warning: These are horror stories. Check the tags and take them seriously.

I prefer to read this series on FFN because yay for giant font but I've linked the AO3 since it puts the series in order. I live for everything this woman writes. This series takes the body-horror in canon and amps it up to 11. From Zack's POV but the Sephiroth characterization is just *chefs kiss*. Unsettling and blue-and-orange morality kind of ride of die friendship love for the win.

Snowball Effect by Tiffany_Park On FFN

Once upon a time in his youth, Angeal posed as the centerfold for an obscure porn magazine. When he made SOLDIER First Class, Shinra decided to erase its history for PR reasons. A few years later, Reno and Rude find an old copy in a used bookstore and purchase it so it can be safely destroyed. This results in many more complications than if they'd just left it to molder there.

If you read that summary and thought, "the premise of this story is utterly ridiculous", you would be entirely correct, but it's not a crack-fic in that it takes this completely seriously and runs with it. Features Shinra Corp. being dastardly, fangirls that fit effortlessly into the 90s sci-fi setting, and wonderful characterization of Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth, who all manage to be completely terrifying in their own special ways.

What is Lost by UnLike_Us

What little is left of Sephiroth after 100 years in the Lifestream suddenly finds itself without a purpose. Determined to find its lost history and reason behind its obsession, it goes back to where it all started.

One of the fluffier picks on this list, the author really plays with the idea of inner memories. A time-travel fic I don't hate lol, if only because the time travel doesn't result in an OP fix-it.

Father: Verb by Naughty_Nishitani

11 year-old WMD Sephiroth is assigned a new handler/bodyguard, named Vincent Valentine. I am sure this has been done 10000 times but I can't stop thinking about it, so here's my version.

As the author says in the summary, I too am a slut for murder-baby Sephiroth, and this is one iteration of the trope I've reread many times. Another Sephiroth fic from the same author I enjoyed is First Soldier.

Starstruck by DyraDoodles @dyradoodles

Zack's limit break always mimics people who end up shaping his life in one way or another. Once he's met them, he can use a break similar to one of theirs, no problem. This time, there is a problem: He's mimicked someone with the power to blow up a solar system, and he has no idea how to control it. He'll have to track them down, and hopefully get them to take an active role in not just teaching the limit break, but his entire life.

This fic is crack to me. I've been salivating over every update since chapter 3. DyraDoodles has another more popular series Redux Hero AU, which I also enjoyed, but that one is much more Zack-centric and so not a good fit for this list; I rec it nonetheless.

Sephiroth Shinden: CLASSIFIED 'PROJECT S.' by goddamnitaisha

A series of one-shots exploring Sephiroth's life. One of the most no-woobie takes of Sephiroth's character, which I really, really like. Paired with an almost bleak writing style, the blunted amorality of the characters really shine through in each one-shot. A favorite of mine. Ao3 users only, unfortunately, but the author has a tumblr @goddamnitaisha. Her blog is truly gorgeous and definitely worth checking out! Not Sephiroth-centric but I really love The Unpromised Land. That's the first story I read from her on tumblr a long ass time ago.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (explicitly set within the Remake/Rebirth verse)

Swords into Plowshares by brilliantKatabasis

The purpose of the Jenova project was to produce a Cetra, someone to negotiate with the Planet on Shinra's behalf. The military applications for the entity were compelling, it's true, but ultimately limited in scope- they have robots for these things, after all- and so the SOLDIER proposal was rejected, quietly shelved away. The asset is instead committed to the significantly more lucrative field of agribusiness, where it is hoped the cultural cache of his mystic heritage will assuage the rise in environmental concerns and planetological sympathies among key interested parties. Sephiroth, Director of Stewardship, tracks down the supplier of the only fresh flowers in Midgar he's had no hand in cultivating, oblivious to the web of time he's threatening. Oblivious to the probability he shares a name with, who longs to crush this flight of fancy and claim his rightful title of certainty, gathering like a cloud on the horizon. Oblivious to the attention he's brought to his local florist's door.

Ugh, remember everything I said I loved about Earthing? This fic is an AU with a similar vibe, completely different premise. I actually recommend you check out all of brilliantKatabasis' library; they truly are an excellent writer.

For the Love of Rain by Boomchick (On Tumblr)

Sephiroth is not human. There is no doubting that now. He fell in two pieces into the reactor all those many months ago. And yet there he is again. Appearing between one heartbeat and the next, while Zack floats hopeless in Mako. There he is, opening the tanks and setting Zack and Cloud free. There he is, chuckling “there is no rush” and smiling an indulgent smile.

If you like Sephiroth-fic, you've probably been recced Boomchick before. If you haven't, I highly recommend you read all her fics, especially The Trooper Series and Restart. A lot of her stories are accompanied by epic art by tomowowo. Why did this fic make it onto the list and not the rest? Because, and I quote, it gives me the tag "Nightmare Sephiroth chooses friendship." That is epic.

Little Seph by ToastedCatBread @toastedcatbread

A life spared, a life returned. A future unseen, a future to fight for. This is the story about the Candle and the Star.

On the note of Nightmare!Sephiroth, what if he was tiny instead of hot and terrifying? :D That's what this story is. Love it!

Those Called by the Reunion by EllaEpoche

Shinra Electric Power Company’s Administrative Investigator Agatha Highmore has just landed the gig of a lifetime - investigating the leak of compromising photographs of the SOLDIER hero Sephiroth. But after a night of passion, Agatha finds herself entangled in a world of human experimentation, corporate scandal, and mysterious illnesses, with only one goal: find and reunite with her lost love.

This fic is a trip @_@. EllaEpoche is one of those authors whose brain cooks up the most insane plots and has the writing talent to back up the wild storytelling. Also recommend Schrodinger's Sephiroth, which explores the multiple timelines introduced in the remake. Ten Thousand Cold Nights also gets a mention here.

Epiphany by Fenrir4life, The_Story_Maker

Sephiroth is looping, repeating the events of Final Fantasy VII over and over again. He has experienced not only the events of the original game and the remake, but many more cycles beyond, stretching into a multitude of similar and yet ever-so-slightly different worlds. Regardless of loss, death, or even victory, he has been unable to free himself from this time loop – or even uncover why he is looping at all. Determining to find answers, he seeks out Aerith Gainsborough to see if he can convince her to interrogate the planet itself for information. However, it turns out Aerith is not completely ignorant of the cycle. Fed experiences by the planet of the events of the original Final Fantasy VII, she has good reason to distrust Sephiroth and his plans. This story revolves around their interactions with each other and the resulting consequences that ripple through this particular cycle.

This is probably my favorite Remake fic. It matches the perfect balance of silliness and action that attracted me to the characters in the first place and hits it with a hefty dose of perfectly written Aeriseph, like you hit the pot with the hot pepper to make the flavor pop. Love it!

Alternate Universe

The Host by CryptCreeperX

A troubled youth, Cloud leaves home to join an elite gang of soldiers. But flipping burgers at Chocobo Chow and living in the Slums during unsafe times wasn't in the plan. Neither were rejection letters from Shinra Inc. An encounter with an enigmatic silver-haired Host presents a new obstacle. Guided to a world of sensual pleasure, Cloud bonds with a man who revels in dark passions

This story is sensual. Even the most mundane moment are described so thoroughly? So intensely? Like, this is a POV of a dude who has zero-chill and you can feel that every moment in his narration, even when man is flipping burgers. Plus, Sephiroth is HOT. The makeup of my bi-dreams.

The Boy Voted Most Likely to Rule the Planet by CryptCreeperX

In High School, there's the pressure to fit in, raging hormones, and seeing the boy of your dreams with someone else. Sephiroth deals with all this. He's been on the run his whole life. When he and his nutjob dad move to Nibelheim, things get complicated. An unruly boy catches his eye. Now he must contend with his feelings while making sure Dad doesn't turn him into a pet project.

I hate high school AUs. But sprinkle some mad science and psycho kids and all of a sudden you have a perfect story. It's like when you don't like a certain fruit but cooked into a pastry that shit is godly? That's this story.

Wonders of the World by CryptCreeperX

Once, a man driven by love nearly ended the world in hate. 200 years have passed since Meteorfall. A film crew documents a derelict mountain village shrouded in snow. Isolated from the world, it's rumored the Lifestream runs black there and spirits of the dead stalk its grounds. Their guide is Wolf, a man with odd blue eyes. He likes to smile. He also says some memories never die.

This thing's got the pacing of an M.Night Shyamalan movie. Love it!

The Prophet by NazoFox2501

In Assiah, there are prophets that are chosen by the god Sephiroth to speak on Their behalf. Cloud, an atheist college student, is afflicted with a deadly disease, the mark of the next chosen prophet. On a journey with his friends, will he be cured and accept his fate, or can he overcome it?

If religious trauma horror is your cup of tea, this story is for you. If your favorite bit of FFVIIR is how terrified Cloud is in Midgar, this story is for you.

[tehrevving]

Wondering why you decided to not include the "Lament of the Damned sidequest" in the fic.

Good Question! Feel free to keep sending in questions!

I actually am going to write this one AND have it finish with Coffin Fucking 🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤 (FINALLY. I am so horny for this you all have no idea (or maybe you do lmao fuckkkkkkk))

I really wanted to include this sidequest but from the 'Chaos Theory' perspective, it only makes sense to include it after Reader knows a little bit more about Vincent's past, and has seen more of his body. (specifically something that was around his neck under his clothes lmao)

I don't like writing cutscenes/quests etc verbatim straight from the games. We've already played them, or watched a playthrough, so we already know what happens. If I'm going to write a scene that's already in the game, then I want to add stuff to it, either with extra scenes, conversations or description.

When I think about writing that sidequest, the things I want to specifically explore are more about Lucrecia, the experiments that happened at the manor, and what happened to Vincent. Talking about those things, with enough context that Reader can start putting some pieces together, only makes sense if she knows more about Vincent.

I felt like it would seem weird if after the Gold Saucer, where there's a rush to get to the Temple of the Ancients, they just stopped and did random sidequests. It's fine in a game, and in an 'interlude' type chapter, but just not in the main fic.

So look forward to this one

[monstrous-angels]

Just a friendly little reminder to everyone:

Ever Crisis seems to have activated a lot of trauma for a lot of people. With several sides clashing at each other over the figures in our favorite little boy's life who failed him when they had the chance to get him out.

It is important to take stock in how we feel about this stuff and acknowledge what biases are currently active in our mind. Are they from our own experiences in life, or are they part of the intended portrayal by the authors of Final Fantasy VII? How does their handling of certain subjects make you feel? Does the behavior of the characters within the confines of the narrative touch you in some way?

Ever Crisis is taking on heavy themes of abuse.. The story has been gloves off all the way so far. And I feel the reaction to this is particularly pronounced because of the slow burn it has taken to get to this point. Literally over 20 years we've been wondering just what Sephiroth was lamenting about down in that basement.

Lots of people appear to be mired in hate for the figures whose action or inaction lead to this result in the story. Understand that Lucrecia and Hojo are just figures in a narrative and there is room for nuance in the interpretation of each. Frankly some of the greatest portrayals in fandom (such as CrimsonSun's portrayal of Hojo) can be really compelling and in my opinion even surpass the original.

Its a story, everybody. And more importantly a story told by people who get excited about fan engagement and so far don't appear to have extremely problematic takes that make indulging in the fandom feel like an exercise in compartmentalization! It is perfectly acceptable to create fanwork that rights these wrongs for you! The devs love it, the fandom loves it and twitter can get it's shit together and realize you were right about Sephiroth this whole time :D

Just don't argue with each other please. We're all here for the same reason ♥.

[altocat]

I actually love Lucrecia as a character because despite DOC’s writing, she is still a subversion of the classic, redundant “victimized and martyred mother” trope. I think that is what they had planned in the original drafts, for her to be someone forced into the horrible position of bearing enhanced children, with Sephiroth being one of them.

Usually this trope also has the mother being the sacrificial lamb that dies trying to protect their child, and being a totally selfless angelic Madonna figure with no flaws and their only character trait being their pure, motherly love for their child. Oh and they have no agency. (See: Disney mothers).

Personally, I am tired of this cliche and I love that Lucrecia was someone that was desperate to prove others wrong and had a lot of emotional issues that led her to make horrific mistakes with real consequences. She lost her baby because she chose to trust people that wanted weapons and scientific advancements at the cost of human life. She made that choice and it cost her son.

Her remorse, hopelessness, self-loathing…it is very realistic and believable. To make things worse, she clearly loved her child and had some point where she realized it. She calls him her “dear, dear child” in the OG and dreams of him, she begs to see him, to know what happened to him. All of her laments over her past mistakes are valid and painful

It also makes Seph looking for her all his life even more tragic because his mother did love him and want him, but she was the one that tore them apart ultimately because of her decisions. She’s the one that hurt him by letting his life be violated from the womb. It stabs at the heart so much more than the age-old “my selfless mother sacrificed herself for me and I wish I could still be with her” cliche.

Seph has a missing mother that could have been with him, but she’s not because of every one of the awful circumstances that she brought herself into. They both want and need each other, but it’s hopeless.

Lucrecia made a huge mistake and she and Sephiroth both paid dearly for it. It’s so tragically human and real. I love Lucrecia for her complex story in this way. People should stop just hating on her and try to see the unique aspects of her story.

^^^^ All of this.

It's just a tragedy. A complete tragedy at every angle. But while Lucrecia is despicable, part of me WANTS to see mother and child reunite. Because none of this had to be this way. And their separation from each other is the very thing that kicks all of this into motion.

[freyayuki]

Final Fantasy Record Keeper Vincent Valentine Updated Relics and Stats List

In the Final Fantasy Record Keeper (FFRK) mobile game, Final Fantasy VII is the realm where I have the most relics. That’s because FF7 is my fave realm in this game.

If there’s a Final Fantasy VII banner or if a Final Fantasy VII char is featured on a banner, I almost always pull on said banner.

This post is all about Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and all the Soul Breaks that I currently have for him as well as his current stats and such.

Final Fantasy Record Keeper End of Service Announcement

Unfortunately, Final Fantasy Record Keeper just recently announced that it was gonna end its service on September 29, 2022. I talk more about that in another post.

I really wish this didn’t have to happen. I don’t want FFRK to end, at least not anytime soon.

Anyway, I’m hoping to be able to finish as much of FFRK’s content as I can before everything ends on September 29, 2022. I talk more about that in another post.

I also want to take screenshots of a couple of stuff in the game before the end.

Vincent Valentine Relics List

Here’s a list of all the relics that I have for Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII (#ad) and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII:

Limit Break Overstrike (LBO), Galian Scratch

Chain Soul Break (CSB), Cerberus Soul

Synchro Arcane Soul Break 1 (SASB1), Bestial Claws

SASB2, Chaos Saber

Awakened Arcane Soul Break 1 (AASB1), Chthonian Blaze

AASB2, Galian Saber

Ultra Soul Break 1 (USB1), Lucrecia's Lament

USB2, Dirge of Cerberus

Glint+ Soul Break (G+), Munitions Reload

Glint Soul Break (G), Forsaken Power

Burst Soul Break 2 (BSB2), Flame Penalty

Default Soul Break, Head Shot

Legend Materia 1, Turk Among Turks

Legend Materia 2, Beast Within

Legend Materia Relic 1 (LMR1), Seeing Red

Missing 6 or 7 of Vincent’s Soul Breaks:

True Arcane Soul Break (TASB) or Arcane Dyad Soul Break (ADSB), Satan Slam

USB3, Marksman's Spite

BSB1, Galian Beast

Super Soul Break 1 (SSB1), Cerberus Shell

SSB2, Bestial Roar

Unique Soul Break, Chain Shot

LMR2, Beastly Aspect

Unfortunately, FFRK ended before I had the chance to take more screenshots of Vincent’s relics, stats, character profiles, and such.

Wasn’t able to take a screenshot of the Materia tab of his relics list, and now I can’t remember for sure if I have his LMR2 or not.

This one gives him fastcast 3 on battle start but I don’t think I’ve ever used this. Pretty sure I always have Vincent equipped with his LMR1 and his Legend Materia 2.

His LMR1 gives him a chance to dualcast fire-type abilities while Beast Within powers him up and restores his HP back to full when it drops to a low amount during battle.

I remember picking Vincent’s Glint+ Soul Break from the Final Fantasy Record Keeper Summer Sun Relic Draw Stamp Sheet Glint Soul Break or Legend Materia Relic select. I talk more about this in another post.

Vincent’s Glint+ is great because it instantly gives him 2 bars so I can have him cast his Chain or one of his BDL relics as soon as the battle starts or whenever I want him to.

Anyway, of the relics that I know for sure that I’m missing for Vincent, the only one that I can’t get from the The Record Lab by using Anima Lenses is his TASB.

Even his LMR2 is Lensable though I still can’t remember for sure if I already have this or not.

If the game was still ongoing, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have bothered to Lens this. Also wouldn’t bother Lensing the other relics that I’m missing for Vincent because they’re all outdated by now, and getting them would just be a waste of resources, especially if I’m not gonna use them anyway.

But with the news that FFRK was coming to an end, I wouldn’t have minded spending the Lenses needed to get these relics. After all, there was no more point in saving any of the resources and materials and such in this game.

Too bad Final Fantasy Record Keeper ended before I had the chance to get all of Vincent’s Lensable relics.

It’s also too bad that I never got his TASB. I’d been meaning to try pulling for it whenever it returned on a banner because it was the only relic that I’m missing for Vincent that I can’t Lens. But now I’ll never be able to get it since the game is over by now. Sigh.

Vincent Valentine Info

In Final Fantasy Record Keeper, Vincent Valentine is a hybrid DPS slash support who deals fire elemental damage.

As a hybrid char, Vincent can be made to deal either magical fire or physical fire damage depending on which stat of his is currently higher.

If his MAG stat is higher, then he’ll deal magical damage. If his ATK stat is higher, then he’ll deal physical damage.

Vincent has one of the best magical fire Chains in the game. He can equip the Machinist ability that has the chance to imperil the fire element. He has Soul Breaks that allow him to imperil fire.

Vincent deals pretty good damage while also supporting the party via his imperils and Chain.

Fire is my favorite and strongest element in Final Fantasy Record Keeper because that’s the element of Genesis Rhapsodos from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.

Currently, Genesis is my absolute, most fave Final Fantasy char. He’s the reason why I’m playing Final Fantasy Record Keeper.

So I always try to bring Genesis to every fight, even the ones with enemies that resist fire and/or aren’t naturally weak to fire.

I’m always looking to improve my physical fire team. Genesis is my main DPS, of course, but I’m always on the lookout for secondary physical fire DPS and other chars who could help make my fire team the best it can possibly be.

When I got 2 BDL relics for Vincent, he became part of my phsysical fire elemental team as my secondary DPS who could also help imperil fire.

Vincent was also on my magical fire team since he can be a magical DPS too. His CSB is really good so he’s also my Chain holder for my magical fire team.

I remember getting Vincent’s Sync 2 on the Final Fantasy VII Inherited Blade banner.

This one has a bonus effect depending on how many Final Fantasy VII chars you have in your party, so it’s not necessarily better than Vincent’s Sync 1.

I’d bring Vincent’s Sync 2 if I’m taking a full Final Fantasy VII party to a fight but I’d opt for his Sync 1 if I only have 1 or 2 FF7 chars in my team.

If I could, I would have readily brought both Syncs. But the thing is each char can only equip 1 Sync at a time, which is really too bad. Vincent will be even better if I could use both of his Syncs on the same fight.

Anyway, Vincent’s AASB2 was also featured on the Final Fantasy VII Inherited Blade banner. Thankfully, I was also able to pull for this Soul Break. I talk more about my pulls on this banner in this post.

Vincent’s AASB2 is definitely better than his AASB1. But at least I don’t have to choose between the 2 because there’s no limit to the number of Awakenings each char can equip.

Getting more BDL relics for Vincent just made him even better and has really helped to cement his place on my fire team.

Got to use Vincent in a lot of fights. I remember that he was part of my team when I went to take on the physical and fire-weak version of White Odin or Argent Odin. This is a quest level 600 fight. I talk more about this fight in this post.

Vincent was also part of my team when I took on the magical and fire-weak version of Argent Odin. I talk more about that in this post.

When I got more of Sephiroth’s (from Final Fantasy VII) fire-type Soul Breaks, I started using Vincent less in my physical fire team. That’s because Sephiroth became my secondary DPS.

Sephi doesn’t really offer anything other than damage but the damage he deals is really good.

The fire imperils from Vincent are helpful and important but the thing is that I do always have Balthier (Ffamran mied Bunansa) from Final Fantasy XII as part of my physical fire team.

Balthier’s Chain Soul Break is one of the best physical fire Chains in FFRK. I’m really glad I have this relic because it really helps to boost the damage output of my fire chars.

As a result of having Balthier’s fire Chain, he’s always a part of my fire team alongside Genesis.

Balthier can equip the Machinist ability that has the chance to imperil fire. He also has a Legend Materia that gives him the chance to imperil fire. He even has an Ultra Soul Break that lowers the enemy’s resistance to the fire element by 2 levels.

So it’s not like I really need Vincent to imperil fire although having him around does mean that I can quickly max out an enemy’s resistance to the fire element.

The point is that between Sephiroth and Vincent, Sephi deals more damage so I started using him more and more as my secondary DPS, especially once I started getting more BDL relics for him.

Vincent is still part of my magical fire team since he’s still one of my top DPS for magical fire and his fire CSB is still one of the best magical fire Chains in the game.

If I can make it work, my physical fire team would usually be Genesis, Sephiroth, Vincent, and Balthier with the fifth char being a healer and buffer.

This slot was usually filled by either Lenna Charlotte Tycoon from Final Fantasy V, Elarra from Final Fantasy Record Keeper, or Aeris or Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII.

On really hard fights, this team will unfortunately not work though. I’d need to bring a support like Tyro from Final Fantasy Record Keeper instead of another damage dealer like Vincent.

An example was when I took on the physical-weak version of Snow Giant, the boss of the Labyrinth Nexus Season 2, Part 1 dungeon in the Labyrinth Dungeons. This quest is level 650. I talk more about this fight in this post.

Vincent is still part of my Final Fantasy VII realm team since said team has basically become a fire team too. This happened once I got more fire relics for Sephiroth and Barret Wallace from Final Fantasy VII.

I remember that I was able to clear the Final Fantasy VII Dragonking Dungeon quest level 630 fight with Genesis, Sephiroth, Vincent, Balthier, and Aerith.

Even managed to sub-30 this fight with the battle ending at 26.95 seconds. I talk more about that in this post.

Glad I got to use Vincent a lot in Final Fantasy Record Keeper. Wish I’d been able to get more of his relics and gotten to use him even more.

Vincent Valentine Hero Artifacts and Hero Ability

My Vincent is currently equipped with his Hero Artifacts:

Level 99 of 99 Death Penalty (VII)

Level 99 of 99 Vincent’s Bandana (VII-DoC)

Level 1 of 1 Vincent’s Boots (VII)

Both weapon and armor have been augmented up to Level 5 of 99.

Unfortunately, wasn’t able to double-check if I’d been able to get the best passives for all of Vincent’s Hero Artifacts. I think one or 2 of his Arts have the best passives.

Anyway, I also created Vincent’s Hero Ability. It’s a Machinist-type ability called Beast Flare. Vincent’s currently equipped with that and the Burnt Offering ability.

Vincent Valentine Stats

Vincent currently has the following stats:

ATK - 878

MAG - 895

ACC - 126

DEF - 448

RES - 538

EVA - 130

MND - 90

SPD - 182

Vincent Valentine Magia Crystals

Currently, Vincent has 489 Magia points. Unfortunately, wasn’t able to take a screenshot of his Magia Crystals list before the game ended.

But I’m positive that Vincent used to have 100 points in his Magic Magia Crystal and 100 in his Attack Magia Crystal. Then I reset his points so he didn’t have any in his Magic Magia Crystal anymore.

This was because Vincent has a higher magic stat when compared to his attack stat. Whenever I tried to gear Vincent to deal physical damage, he still ended up with a higher magical stat anyway.

This was back when Vincent was still a prominent part of my physical fire team and when my magical fire team wasn’t that good or fully built yet. So I wanted Vincent to deal more physical damage.

I don’t think I ever got to bring Vincent’s Magic Magia Crystal back to 100 points. Even without this though, Vincent still has a higher magic stat anyway. It’s kind of infuriating.

As for the rest of his Magia points, pretty sure 100 went to his Fire Magia Crystal. His HP Magia Crystal should have 100 points as well then the rest should be split between his DEF and RES Magia Crystals.

Vincent Valentine Crystal Water Points

Wasn’t able to take a screenshot but I’m pretty sure that my Vincent has max Crystal Waters for the following stats: ATK, MAG, HP, DEF, and RES.

Vincent Valentine Character Profile

Each char in Final Fantasy Record Keeper has a Character Profile. This has 2 tabs - Overview and Hero Record.

Unfortunately, wasn’t able to take screenshots of Vincent’s Overview and Hero Record.

But here’s some of what is listed under the Overview tab of Vincent’s Character Profile:

Vincent’s Role is listed as Offensive Magic, which isn’t entirely accurate since Vincent is a hybrid char so he could be a physical DPS too.

Under the Special Traits heading is the following text:

Proficient with a variety of weapons and armor, with a focus on guns and rods. Can use rare black magic abilities, buffing his Magic to deal heavy elemental magic damage.

The Hero Record tab of Vincent’s Character Profile has the following text:

A gunslinger who slept in a coffin in the Shinra Mansion for many years, Vincent is one of the few who knows Sephiroth's true origin. Vincent has been surgically altered, giving him eternal youth and the ability to change into a variety of beasts.

If Vincent had any costumes, it would have been listed in the Hero Record tab under the Wardrobe Records heading. Too bad Vincent doesn’t have any alt outfits in this game.

Ugh. I’m really annoyed that I wasn’t able to take more Vincent-related screenshots before Final Fantasy Record Keeper ended. Wish I’d been able to take more notes and info and such about all of this. Sigh.

It really sucks that the game is all over now. I really wish we could have gotten more time to play FFRK.

Conclusion

So what about you? What do you think about Vincent Valentine from Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII? Do you have a lot of Soul Breaks for him? What do you think about the fact that Final Fantasy Record Keeper is all over now? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions by leaving a comment below or by reblogging or replying to this post.

Notes:

screenshots are from my Final Fantasy Record Keeper game account

[mary-k-latina]

English:

"The days in Mexico City were somewhat complicated for Diego, who had to sort out certain paperwork issues with his sister.

One afternoon, the two of them had met in a restaurant.

"Well, this afternoon her father is bringing her home, so you can be with her."

"I really regret your divorce."

"It's okay, I feel more relieved without that man..."

"I want to be a good man for Paloma," Diego declared sincerely.

"The girl you told me about?"

"Yes, she's lovely... really lovely inside. I don't want to mess her up. Nor do I want anyone else to mess her up. There are so many assholes out there..."

"Like my ex... what a bastard..." Lucrecia lamented.

"And like our father."

"You still haven't forgiven him?" Lucrecia asked.

"I'm trying..."

Los días en el DF. fueron algo complicados para Diego que tuvo que arreglar ciertos asuntos de papeleos con su hermana.

Una tarde, se habían reunido ambos en un restaurante.

"Me alegra verte, Lucrecia, estoy muy ansioso de ver a mi sobrina"

"Pues, esta tarde su padre la trae a cada así que puedes estar con ella "

"De veras lamento lo de tu divorcio"

"Está bien, me siento más aliviada sin ese hombre..."

"Yo quiero ser un buen hombre para Paloma"_ declaró Diego con sinceridad.

"La chica de la que me hablaste?"

"Si, es linda...realmente linda por dentro. No la quiero estropear. Ni quiero que nadie la estropee. Hay tantos culeros por ahí..."

"Cómo mi ex...vaya desgraciado..." _se lamentó Lucrecia.

"Y como nuestro padre"

"Aún no lo perdonas?"_Preguntó Lucrecia.

"Lo intento..."

[kingartsybanana]

thinking about this unused cross-stitch in Lucy's mind 🥺

[blow-it-to-smithereens]

I had to combine some of the levels to have enough room. Comment which one you prefer!

[silliest-basilisk]

not to mention that the deluge being only 20 years ago makes next to no sense. augustus in the memory vaults looks 12 at most, which would put him in his early 30s in the present day, which means he wouldve been a teenager when dion and frazie were born.... obv its not out of the question that he and dona were teen parents but im not sure if this was intended also its a little weird considering the ages of the psychic 7? they mostly look to be in their 70s or even 80s, which would make it so that they were in their 50s-60s when the deluge happened, but ford referred to himself as being 'young' back then in lucrecia's lament? i guess he couldve meant youngER, but still, its a little weird (though it makes sense given that lucy was already a widow by the time she joined the psy7, and compton was likely already divorced and had kids when he joined as well) not to mention that this makes the common hc that ford and otto started researching psitanium soon after college make no sense. i doubt the psy7 lived in the gulch for DECADES.

I'm confused by the Psychonauts timeline. And I don't mean "Oh doesn't it take place in the 1980s cause of the second game having magazines?" vs "doesn't it take place in the 1800s because Fred validly being the great great great grandson of Napoleon Bonaparte and we can look up Napoleon's lineage and see that said great great great grandchildren lived in that age?" vs "Doesn't it take place in a futuristic 2000s because vibes?"

No no no no no.

I'm talking about what events took place in what order?

Like... Ford and Otto meet and decide to go to some place in the woods to study this thing called Psitanium. Many people think they dropped out of college but they could have also been like... geology majors...

And apparently Otto knew a hydrokinetic woman named Lucy from Grulovia so...

Mark that actually first in the timeline, Otto knew Lucy and knew a war was happening in Grulovia. Sometime after that, Otto and Ford meet and start studying Psitanium. Lucy's husband, Gelsin, dies in the war so she leaves. Leaving her sister behind.

Lucy and Ford start bonding long before other psychics join them, but then we don't know the exact order that people came in.

Compton, Cassie, and Bob are somewhere in the mix with Helmut being last but... which of them came first!? Was it Cassie who struggled to socialize with the others and only bonded with Ford? OR was it Compton because his psychic abilities were having trouble being honed and Ford was like- why don't we try to help? OR was it Bob who had no one else around and was probably aimlessly wandering or drunk? We don't know. Make it up yourself.

Helmut and Bob have a wedding, which... includes... Truman. Wait how old is Truman!? I thought he was younger than Augustus but Augustus is clearly around Raz's age (maybe older) in the memory vaults but now looks older than Truman.

Do we need to put THAT on the timeline, too!? *sigh* just... plot things out...

After that wedding the next point in the timeline is Lucrecia's return to Grulovia because the war eventually breaches its borders, and fearing for her sister's life, Lucrecia heads back. This is now a lot easier to plot out. Lucrecia heads back, turns the tide of war (pun intended), and becomes the War Minister under the Malik Crown. Lucrecia eventually creates mild floods at protests, and gains the moniker "Maligula" from either those of the crown, or the protestors. During this time, her letters start to no longer show up in the mail and Maligula gains a big name for herself (as we see with Psychic Times Magazine). The Deluge happens. Marona and Lazarus are killed and then she is left to succumb to her primal fight instincts that try to protect her from feeling the guilt and aiming her rage at those she blames to be the real cause of her sister's death. Other protestors, or even the crown. The Maliks flee, and after many militaries cannot get to Grulovia, they send in the small group of Psychics that have also probably been published in similar magazines (most likely thanks to Otto). The fight with Maligula happens, Helmut "dies," Ford "kills" Maligula, and he takes Maligula and Helmut's brain to the Heptadome.

Things get messy here again. Because while it may seem that Maligula's, Augustus's, and Ford's rewrites happened back to back in Helmut's memories of the incident, there's implications that it wasn't the case. Ford recalls at the end of "Tomb of the Sharkophogus" that "I had my Lucy back." This implies that he first used it to isolate Maligula. Afterall, it he remarks he had his Lucy. Ford goes on to say "But I knew the world would never forgive her. So I had to hide her somewhere safe."

Perhaps this was him still having her in the astrolaithe, BUT it could also be that he and Lucy came up with the plan of hiding her further from herself. Remember: Lucy accepted the name of Maligula before the Deluge (Cruller's Correspondence). It was even the name they featured her with on the Psychic magazine before the Deluge. But we don't know. This is a hole in our understanding. It's an even bigger hole with Raz saying that Ford was "the greatest leader the Psychonauts had ever seen," back in PN1 (before Maligula was the reason that Ford's mind became fucked up). Meaning that not only should Ford have at least a FEW missions under his belt, it would mean the back-to-back memory wipe makes no sense. But if the back-to-back memory wipe makes no sense then there would be no reason for Otto to have not known the brain in the jar was Helmut Fullbear! ESPECIALLY when Ford is supposedly out of it during Helmut's funeral and when Ford is at the founding of the Motherlobe.

Another hole in our understanding is even where Ford got the idea of the circus. Was it from Lazarus Aquato and his famous national aquatic circus that Augustus tells Raz about? Was it from the fact that the Galochios were supposed to have been a rival circus in the past? We don't get anything with that!

So what are we left with? I suppose it would have had to have been something like this - Ford rescues Lucy, but between all of her friends she believes she killed Helmut, as well as her sister. Possibly unable to deal with the grief, She begs Ford to help her redeem herself by saving Augustus. But Augustus, traumatized by the loss of his mother to his aunt rejects her until they're both locking their memories away. And then Ford... well there's another grey period.

What makes the MOST sense is that he was HAILED as the best leader the Psychonauts had because he was 1. The First, and 2. Took down Maligula. And basically immediately after tried to seal the memories of Lucy away with the Astrolaithe and accidentally broke his own mind by the time they had Helmut's funeral.

THEN we get into the New Leadership of the Psychonauts. Mostly led by Otto, but we also have Truman as the only other leader. Who is clearly old enough to have been at Helmut and Bob's wedding given the figments you can find in Bob's Bottles.

I'm guessing that Ford and Otto had their time as leaders, but when Cassie left, Truman was the one in charge. But that's only guess work. Truman could have just been leading the Psychonauts as the organization we know it since the beginning.

But the most IRRITATING part of the Psychonauts timeline is the current batch of agents. No, not Raz and the Juniors, I'm talking about the Senior Agents. The superstars.

Where did Sasha Nein, Milla Vodello, Hollis Forsythe, and Morceau Oleander come from?

Like... we know their backstories and where they were BEFORE the Psychonauts. But we only see Hollis recruited. And she's able to call the Psychonauts and get Truman to come on a mission to fix her mess.

But like... if the Psychonauts are just a phone call away, they're clearly established for the populous rather than the way they're called in like... the E3 reveal trailer by military. So HOW did she become SECOND HEAD? Who was Truman's second hand before her? Did he have one before her? Was this during a time that like... Otto and Compton were in charge?

Were Morceau, Sasha, and Milla already there? That would make the most sense, considering how popular and available the Psychonauts are. But then again, why would someone who got into the Psychonauts so late become the Second Head??

And it's not even that Hollis was an immediate field agent, as she dropped being a nurse and got a graduate degree in mathematics. So she either took off away from the Psychonauts and got that degree then came in later, or under the Psychonauts got her degree.

We don't have the order of half of the founding members, and we don't have the order of the modern psychonauts being recruited.

All. We have. Are Headcanons. And even then those clash a lot.

Like, I can say: "Oh I think Truman became leader fairly quickly thanks to his age being around 20s or 30s at the latest and Otto and Compton were struggling with trauma" but at the same time it's equally valid to say: "Ford was the leader who lost himself overtime rather than shattering immediately"

And sometimes that's great. But sometimes that can cause people to yell at one another.

What am I trying to get at?

Nothing I'm just neurodivergent about numbers and timelines are something I'm VERY neurodivergent for.

[psychonauts-faceoff]

LEVELS SHOWDOWN ROUND 4: FINALE

[maskyartist]

i love the psychonauts wiki because they added more references of the psychonauts 2 characters to their short bio sections which is lovely because we now have immaculate full models of all the Aquato's for reference which i always need-

but i was checkin Augustus's page as i do cause i need a ref for when he was a kid and im losing it because of ALL the pictures they could choose (the portrait in Lucrecia's Lament, a different still from the mental vault that housed the memory of Augustus n Lucrecia gettin astralathed) they just...

they chose this.

a closeup of the most TRAUMATIZED CHILD EVER

and i fucking adore it.

look at him. all he knows his pain. there is only terror and fear behind those eyes. hes got a thousand yard stare. hes lookin at the audience begging for help he will not receive.

and hes also so fucking small oh my god hes so tiny-

[save-me-san-fran-psychonauts]

This is one of the arena battle themes, its very short but intense and it absolutely slaps (It plays in Ford’s Follicles and in Lucrecia’s Lament)

[freyayuki]

Final Fantasy Record Keeper Syldra Magicite Fight

The fights in the 5-star Magicite Dungeons in the Final Fantasy Record Keeper (FFRK) mobile game are quest level 400.

Syldra is the 5-star Wind Magicite boss who’s weak to the ice element and who takes reduced damage from magic and ninjutsu attacks.

I should be taking on this fight with my ice team, but instead I decided to try with my physical fire elemental team.

My team was:

Genesis Rhapsodos from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Currently, Genesis Rhapsodos from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (#ad) is my absolute, most favorite Final Fantasy char. He’s the reason why I’m playing Final Fantasy Record Keeper.

Genesis is a physical fire elemental DPS. Have all of his Soul Breaks.

Limit Break Overstrike (LBO), Light of Doom

Synchro Arcane Soul Break (SASB), Purgatorial Wave

Awakened Arcane Soul Break (AASB), Genesis Rhapsody

Arcane Overstrike Soul Break (AOSB), SOLDIER’s Epic

Ultra Soul Break (USB), Apocalypse Genesis

Glint+ Soul Break 1 (G+1), Epic of Creation

Glint+ Soul Break 2 (G+2), Epic of Heroism

Glint Soul Break (G), Epic of Destruction

Legend Materia Relic (LMR), Fierce Opposition

Genesis has max Crystal Waters for all the stats - HP, Attack, Defense, Magic, Resistance, and Mind.

Yeah, he doesn’t need magic and mind, but I don’t care. I want to give him all the stats anyway.

Genesis has over 500 Magia points. He has 100 in the fire attack, attack, defense, resistance, and HP stats then 10 each for the defense stat of all the elements.

Genesis’s Record Board was the first one I ever completed. His Hero Ability, Genesis Slash, was the first one I ever created.

I always want to use Genesis whenever possible even if his element is resisted in a fight.

Balthier (Ffamran mied Bunansa) from Final Fantasy XII

Chain Soul Break 2 (CSSB2), Incendiary Trap

AASB, Untouchable Hellfire

G+2, Scarlet Sky Fluke

Burst Soul Break 1 (BSB1), Gatling Gun

BSB2, Spark of Change

Balthier is here to support Genesis. He imperils the fire element and casts his fire Chain Soul Break (one of the best physical fire Chains in this game) to buff and increase Genesis’s damage.

Vincent Valentine from Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII

LBO, Galian Scratch

SASB, Bestial Claws

AASB, Chthonian Blaze

USB1, Lucrecia’s Lament

USB2, Dirge of Cerberus

Chain Soul Break (CSB), Cerberus Soul

Vincent Valentine acted as my secondary DPS. He can also help imperil the fire element via his Sync command 1.

I have his Chain but it buffs the magic stat whereas Balthier’s buffs the attack stat. Genesis is a physical attacker so I prefer Balthier’s Chain for him.

Vincent is a hybrid char, meaning he can be geared to be either a physical DPS or a magical one. For this fight, I made sure that Vincent’s attack stat was higher than his magic stat.

Aeris or Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII

AASB, Star Pulse

USB1, Hidden Bloom

USB2, Innocent Cure

G+1, Refreshing Breeze

G+2, Star Whisper

Unique Soul Break, Planet Protector

LMR, Flower of the Slums

Aerith served as my team’s healer. She can also buff the party’s attack with her Planet Protector.

Aeris can resurrect the party via her Awakening in case things go awry. She provides Last Stand with her USB1 and AASB.

Tyro from Final Fantasy Record Keeper

AASB, Fantasy Grimoire Vol. I

AOSB3, Triple Phase

USB4, Arbiter’s Tome

USB3, Divine Veil Grimoire

USB1, Warder’s Apocrypha

G, Purifying Grimoire

Burst Soul Break (BSB), Keeper’s Tome

Unique Soul Break 2, Sentinel’s Grimoire

LMR1, Archival Secrets

Tyro served as my team’s support. He’s equipped with Wrath and Entrust so he can increase his gauge then give them to whoever needs it.

Mostly, I had him give them to Aeris so she could keep casting her healing Soul Breaks.

Tyro can also buff the party via his USB4 and AASB (among other things, these 2 Soul Breaks will increase the party’s critical hit chance) so I cast those when he had the bars to spare.

Made sure to buff Genesis’s stats a lot and imperil fire to the max so he can deal good damage.

Also wanted to test my new 6-star Magicite so I had Shiva set as my main Magicite for this fight. I talk more about my fight against Shiva (quest level 550) in another post.

Actually managed to win. Got sub-30 too. My clear time was 24.04 seconds. 

But was pretty miffed that Genesis ended up dying. Eff you, Syldra! Actually, everyone except Tyro and Vincent died.

Welp, will have to do better next time I try this fight. Still, pretty pleased that I managed to win against Syldra using my fire team.

I’m always really glad whenever I can bring Genesis to fights where he normally wouldn’t be brought and whenever I can make him work in these quests.

Conclusion

So what about you? Have you tried any of the 5-star Magicite fights yet? What do you think about these quests? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions by leaving a comment below or by reblogging or replying to this post.

Notes:

screenshots are from my Final Fantasy Record Keeper game account