#nibelheim fix-it

[prismaticpichu]

nibelheim doesn't happen because:

zack and seph are gay. thats the post. blue time (you can do it!!)

-your friend

Nibelheim Roadblock #4~ Zack & Seph Are Gay

HERE WE GO, FOLKS! LET’S DO THIS!!! *pops open blue sharpie*

Summary: A last-minute confession at the Nibelheim inn changes the course of history.

[phoenixcatch7]

Okay but why haven't we had a time travel/fix it fic where after some shenanigans everyone decides to take down shinra, they split up to take out the important figures, sephiroth obviously takes hojo for any and all of a dozen good reasons.

And then hojo pulls a winter soldier sleeper code on him.

And then everyone is suddenly dealing with a brainwashed sephiroth.

-

Hojo has to have some way to control sephiroth as he grew into his monstrous strength and power, yes? And learned helplessness isn't enough of a reassurance your prized military leader powerhouse isn't going to wake up one day and realise just how easily he could paint the labs walls red with chunks of you. And because hojo is obsessed with total power and control, dealing with a murder machine with huge mental issues, it'd only be fitting he create his own emergency shutdown.

In the most needlessly traumatic and mentally violating way, of course. Would sephiroth even know, if he couldn't remember? Would he have long stretches of emptiness in his memories that never get explained to him, or would he wake up where he'd blacked out, just another day in the labs?

Imagine, his allies watching on the cameras, as sephiroth stalks into the labs, a predator sighting its prey, exchanging a few cold words with hojo, raising masamune... And then hojos mouth opening, sephiroth going stiff like an animatronic, rearranging himself on the floor where he stood, face hidden behind his hair. Hojo leaves the room and he doesn't move, doesn't respond to any comms or passing scientists accidentally rolling a cart over his coat and hair.

Hojo ordering sephiroth to reveal their plans, their allies, their resources. Sephiroth doing it. Hojo deciding to punish sephiroth for the rebellion with lab procedures, or hojo ordering him to hunt down his co conspirators and end the takeover. Sephiroth doing so, heavy in his steps, crashing through walls and doors, heedless now of morals or civilians, silent, unresponsive. So completely unlike the jenova malice they'd been prepared to fight, that sephiroth had been bracing against. No arrogance, no mocking, no dramatic battlefield or hungry glowing eyes.

The puppeteer becomes the puppet, and with it, every trace of holding back. The perfect soldier.

I imagine the first trigger word would be lucrecia.

[uncouthseaslug]

Haven’t had to motivation to do anything but rough sketches lately so here’s a Sephi with a braid

[prismaticpichu]

HECK YEAH!!! BEST AU!!! <333

a Nobody Dies au where crisis core sephiroth just gives gives himself a terrible breakdown haircut in the bathroom like a normal person instead of trying to kill everyone

[thesovereignsring-if]

Welcome everyone! Lili here <3

Read the update here

NOTE: YOU WILL NEED TO START A NEW SAVE FOR THE NEW CONTENT.

The time as come to celebrate the new year with the Festival of Eostre. It will be your first one without your mother, but at least you will have your friends and family with you. Today will be filled with good memories. This will be part 1 of 3 updates for the prologue.

NOTE: The Festival of Eostre is the second prologue that takes place between the introduction and Chapter 1. Until this section is complete, players will not be able to read Chapter 1 anymore. You will also need to start a New Save otherwise your game will break and miss content. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Update Log:

Story:

13+ word update.

Prepare for the festival with your friends and family

Spend sometime with them in 2/4 routes.

Go boating with Alberich and Finn or visit the Markets with Thea and Sieghardt.

Meet Grand Cardinal Lior, the leader of the dominant religion in Nibelheim.

Gameplay/UI Changes:

Dark Theme colours have been slightly adjusted. (If people have a colour theme they wish to see, I'll be more than happy to add them)

Character Creation has been updated and streamlined: (Gender/Pronouns and Sex are separate categories for both adult and child character creations. Attributes chosen during Child Character Creation will be stored as different variables in the event I choose to do anymore flashbacks later on in the story.)

Please note, that choosing after your sex (as an adult) I will assume your character will have the corresponding equipment down there.

Music Credits have been updated.

Fixed typos.

What to expect for the next update:

The remain routes with Linnet and the Empress.

Some Codex Entries + childhood artwork of characters

Have fun! The Festival is only beginning :)

[rottenpumpkin13]

What if the entire Shinra Building was suddenly left without electricity on an unbearably hot day with no backup power supplies? (the irony and absurdity of the whole situation seems kinda funny 🤭)

The Heat Wave From Hell (Literally)

• The hottest day in Midgar arrives with the worst scenario possible: all the power, including generators and backup systems, is down in the Shinra building—and in the Shinra building alone. It would be easy to leave and find another place in Midgar with air conditioning while the power gets fixed, but everyone has obligations and work that keep them there. Surprisingly, everyone is handling it well.

*Genesis walks into the SOLDIER lounge and sees everyone in various stages of suffering—with Angeal being the most prominent, since he's laying on the floor in only his uniform pants*

Genesis: Goddess, you look terrible.

Angeal: Aren't you hot?? Why are you still in full uniform?

Genesis: As if I would abandon the dress code and my gorgeous coat for a bit of mild heat. You're all overreacting.

*Kunsel passes out in the corner*

Genesis:

*Sephiroth appears out of nowhere with a watering can and pours it over his corpse*

Genesis: !?

Angeal: Sephiroth, what are you doing?

Sephiroth: Hydration is crucial in combating this heat. Not drinking enough water will lead to dehydration, which can cause dizziness, confusion, heat stroke, and eventually death.

Genesis: Oh please. That's what weak people tell themselves to make peace with the fact they can't handle a little heat.

Angeal: You're sweating, do you know that?

Genesis: You're hallucinating.

Angeal:

*Just then, Zack drags in Cloud—literally, by the legs, because the man is passed out*

Zack: Good news! I found Spike and he's just as close to dying as I said he'd be.

Cloud: My body isn't built to endure heat. Summer in Nibelheim was equal to autumn here.

*Sephiroth offers Cloud a water bottle*

Cloud: Thanks, but I don't drink water unless it's cold.

Sephiroth: Hydration is crucial in combating this heat. Not drinking enough water will lead to dehydration, which can cause dizziness, confusion, heat stroke, and eventually death.

*Cloud starts tapping his forehead*

Sephiroth: What are you doing?

Cloud: Trying to find the off button.

• Zack takes Cloud to Angeal's office since the window there is huge and allows air flow.

*Cloud is rocking back and forth*

Cloud: I can't take this much longer. I can feel my sanity slowly slipping away. Why don't we use ice materia to cool off?

Zack: Because all the materia in the building is being used by the president and the board to keep them cool.

Sephiroth, appearing in the doorway: Inequality. Unfair distribution of resources. The rich bask in their cool environment and leave the rest of us to endure unnecessary suffering.

Cloud: Where did you even come from!?

Sephiroth: Drink the w a t e r.

*Zack shuts the door*

Zack: We don't have materia, but I got the next best thing!

*Zack pulls out a container of dry ice*

Zack: Ta-da! Look at what I got from Kunsel!

Cloud: Uhh....isn't that toxic?

Zack: Huh. I don't know. I'll go ask Genesis since he knows about chemistry.

*Zack opens the door*

Sephiroth: In extreme heat conditions, dehydration can lead to serious health complications and death within a matter of—

*Zack shuts the door*

Zack: Eh, we should be fine. Hey, let's go put these in the vents and cool the place up!

Cloud: Good idea!

• The heat seems to be getting worse. Sephiroth continues to make his rounds around the SOLDIER floor, insisting that people drink water, Genesis refuses to part with his leather, and Angeal is slowly losing what little sanity he has.

Angeal: I'm sweating so much, I feel like I'm melting. I smell like a zoo. I can't wait until the tower has cold water again so I can take a cold shower.

*Sephiroth offers him a bottle of water*

Sephiroth: I believe you will benefit from drinking some water.

Genesis, hyperventilating and sweating: Well, I'm not even bothered.

Angeal: JUST TAKE THE COAT OFF

Sephiroth: Drink the water.

Genesis: NEVER

Sephiroth: Drink the water.

Angeal: YOU WILL DIE

Sephiroth: Drink the water.

genesis: FASHIONABLY AND WITH DIGNITY

Sephiroth: Drink the water.

Angeal: DON'T BE A CHIL—IF YOU DON'T GET THAT WATER OUT OF MY FACE, SEPHIROTH, I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL TIE YOU TO THE CEILING BY YOUR HAIR.

Sephiroth: ........

• Angeal can't take it anymore and leaves. He heads towards the break room, where it's so hot, people have started taking frozen items from the break room freezer and are applying them to their bodies to cool off. This angers Angeal greatly.

*Angeal watches Kunsel walk off with a pack of frozen bacon on his neck*

Angeal: Guys, I get that it's hot, but there's no need for this!

*He watches Roche walk away with a bag of frozen french fries on his head*

Angeal: This is such a waste of food!

*Cloud walks by, rubbing frozen peas all over himself*

Angeal: Cloud, don't—

Cloud: IF YOU TAKE MY PEAS I'LL KILL A MAN

Angeal:

*Sephiroth comes up to them with a knife*

Sephiroth: Hydration or castration.

Angeal: Shiva's tits.

• Zack is sure his dry ice plan is fool-proof, but he wants to consult Genesis first. So he finds him in the data room….spinning on an office chair.

*Zack walks up to Genesis*

Zack: Hey Gen, how much dry ice can I put in the vents without it becoming toxic?

Genesis: If you pour the the dry ice in your lungs it'll taste like ice cream and you can then meet the goddess in another plane.

Zack: …..what?

Genesis: The goddess won't judge you for your sins if you find a raccoon and raise it to become a race car driver.

Zack: This is bad! You're delirious from the heat!

Genesis: Sometimes I wonder how many screwdrivers it takes to bake a cake but then I remember that the mako tastes sweeter if Sephiroth spits it into your mouth like a mother bird feeding her young.

Zack: Man, I know exactly what you mean.

• Zack goes through with his plan, but as the cool air hits his face, he starts having doubts—what if the amount he put in was too much? What if he poisons everyone? Better go tell Lazard before things get out of hand.

*Zack runs up to Lazard, who's struggling to cool himself off with a small, battery-powered fan*

Zack: We have a problem! I tried to cool the entire level by placing dry ice in the vents, but I accidentally put too much and it became toxic!

Lazard: Dry ice doesn't just become toxic like that, Zack. I'm sure it's all in your head. Try to relax and handle the heat wave in a civilized manner like everyone else.

*Angeal tackles Genesis to the ground and is trying to force him out of the leather coat*

Genesis: A BEAR IS ATTACKING ME!

Angeal: TAKE THAT DAMN COAT OFF. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A STROKE!

Genesis: A BEAR IS FORCING ME TO UNDRESS!

Angeal: YOU'RE DELIRIOUS!

*Sephiroth appears with a hose and starts spraying the two of them with water*

Lazard: When this is all over, I will be taking an extended vacation where I will try various calming, illicit substances and none of you will hear from me for six months.

Zack:

• It turns out the amount of dry ice Zack put in the vents was too much, forcing them to evacuate the entire level and regroup in the Skyview Lounge. Word is that they're working on restoring the power, but in the meantime, everyone has to wait there. Meanwhile, Zack is growing increasingly worried about Genesis, and since Angeal has washed his hands with the situation, Zack turns to Sephiroth for help.

*Zack finds Sephiroth in the crowd and runs up to him, dragging Genesis along*

Zack: We have a problem! Genesis is delirious and making no sense.

Genesis: If you grind black pepper and place it in your socks, the ground will taste like cheese when you eventually walk the path to self discovery.

Sephiroth: That's because not drinking enough water will lead to dehydration, which can cause dizziness....

*Genesis sways in place*

Sephiroth: Confusion....

Genesis: Where did we hide the pet parrot who told everyone my secrets and cooked excellent omurice?

Sephiroth: Heat stroke....

*Zack feels Genesis' forehead*

Zack: OW THAT'S HOT

Sephiroth: And eventually death.

*Genesis faints*

Zack: !!!

Sephiroth: Wow. If only we had listened to Sephiroth and DRANK THE FUCKING WATER.

Zack:

Sephiroth:

Zack: Cool your tits, man.

[caprart1]

Sephiroth is such a joy to me, he's like an all-in-one package. If I want a sweet, lovable, gentle giant hunk? Pre-Nibelheim sephiroth. Or if I want a crazy, murderous, emotionless husk of a man I can fix? Post-Nibelheim sephiroth. He's got the chunkiest chest and hair I want to wrap myself in like it's a thneed. He looks and dresses like he'd be a FREAK but he's uninterested enough for me to project my asexuality onto. He's my silly kitty cat, my air and water, god do I love Sephiroth

[tifa-simp]

Bring this back with receipt this time.

In Remake there's total of 3 times this scene is mentioned, 4 times in Rebirth, so there are in total 7 times Tifa and Brian scene has been brought up so far.

First one is in the reactor bombing mission. Cloud suddenly has a headache and has a flashback unprompted.

The second time is when Heidegger reveals Shinra plan to use Avalanche against themselves, Tifa kicks the hologram machine and says she's sick of this, which triggers Cloud.

The third time is when the gang discover Genova in Shinra HQ, Cloud has an headache and sees Sephiroth talking to Jenova, following is Tifa scene.

The fourth tine is at the beginning of Rebirth with Nibelheim flashback in Kalm, when the "real" memory is shown.

The fifth time is when the gang visit Nibelheim, Tifa tells Cloud how her father must've felt during the accident. Well, this one is technically a reference but it has the line "I'm sick of this" so I count it anyway.

Sixth time is in the same chapter, later when Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie go to the reactor to find Murasaki and discover his corpse in the same spot as Brian's, which triggers Tifa's PTSD.

The final time is in Tifa trial, after following lil Cloud's guide, Tifa discovers a door that leads straight to the reactor room where Brian died. But unlike in Nibelheim when the mere sight of a corpse similar to Brian is enough to make Tifa tremble in fear, this time Tifa is filled with rage. Perhaps she's aware that an outside force is playing with her pain.

With Northern Crater and Lifestream ahead, no doubt we'll see this scene at least 2 more times. Which will make this the most mentioned scene in the trilogy.

Funny thing I notice:

In Remake it's Cloud who remembers the scene all the time.

In Rebirth it's Tifa who tells what happened, thinks of it, reacts to it, experiences it again.

I really like this scene cos it demonstrates Tifa's rage the best. Tifa is always full off love and care, even for the enemy in the worst moments. So this might be the most violent she's ever been in her life, the only time she truly wants to kill a person. All the wrong things in FF7 world culminate in Nibelheim, in Tifa's words, repeat to us over and over again:

"Sephiroth...SOLDIERs...Mako...Shinra...I'm sick of all of this!"

I swear out of all the scenes in Retrilogy, Tifa's flashback in Nibelheim has to be the scene being brought up the most often, at least 4-5 times already. It better be a grant set up for some mind-blowing twist in the future. (And no, I'm not talking about Cloud)

[pen-and-umbra]

Ever Crisis's intriguing development could have far-reaching consequences for the Remake's finale. With it, the circulating theory about Sephiroth assuming a new role just got a boost.

I had suspicions that Ever Crisis was being clever with its storytelling. This was the first scene that caught my attention.

Glenn's team briefly touches upon how secrets as well as childhood memories end up in the Lifestream. The focus on Sephiroth's adolescence in the title makes this detail quite telling.

In later chapters, Sephiroth's cherished necklace, holding a picture of his mother, is also cast into the Lifestream. In a possibly related context, Lifestream Black indicates that OG Jenovaroth discarded his human memories, including those of childhood and friends, to retain independence in the Lifestream and prevent assimilation by the Planet. By discarding these additional memories and linking himself to Cloud, he furthered his agenda in Advent Children. These memories also make their way into the Lifestream.

Previously, the relationship between these tidbits and EoC!Sephiroth was speculative.

Players have observed stark contrast in Sephiroth at the Edge of Creation: his livelier expressions and defensive fighting style against Cloud, reminiscent of past battles with Angeal and Genesis in the VR simulator. Notably, the distinction in pronoun usage was emphasized: masculine 'ore' instead of Jenovaroth's gender-neutral 'watashi,' reflecting the symbiotic relationship between post-Nibelheim Sephiroth's body and Jenova cells that Jenovaroth fixes his lower body with. Drawing from these observations, some fans have theorized that EoC!Sephiroth showed a stronger connection to his human side. With Ever Crisis' latest chapter, that inference is no longer theoretical. Sephiroth at the Edge of Creation mysteriously possesses human memories.

Now, Edge of Creation can be thought of as a smaller-scale pocket dimension, akin to Destiny's Crossroads. Fascinatingly enough, its emergence is accompanied by colorful glow effects, not too unlike the effects of branching universes introduced in FFVII Rebirth.

It appears to be stranded between two universes, as represented by the two separate nebulae in the backdrop. According to developers (courtesy to aitaikimochi translated Ultimania bits), one of them alludes to Sephiroth's winged appearance and was intended to evoke imagery of his menacing presence. I can only imagine it referred to his Safer Sephiroth form.

The red one, on the other hand, displays some parallels to Jenova's monstrous appearance (courtesy to u/nzivvo pointing that out). Thus, EoC! Sephiroth is stuck between “Sephiroth's menacing presence” and “Jenova” figuratively.

And yet, EoC!Sephiroth indicates a desire NOT to vanish/end [presumably as a result of worlds merging?]. As he does so, he glances at "Sephiroth's menacing presence" nebula

So who is EoC!Sephiroth? Various interpretations align with the newly introduced lore. It could be Sephiroth who regained his human senses sometime down the line — a singularity-like dimension appears to exist beyond time-space and is connected to all points in time, just like Destiny's Crossroads. It could be a fragment of his spirit—his human memories, hopes and dreams creating an 'alternate world' within the Lifestream. It could be Sephiroth from some other “world”—perhaps, a timeline where he never went insane and never took a dive at Nibelheim. At any rate, he seems to be trapped in that bubble dimension, which is also destined to disappear [become part of another world] one day, a fate he seemingly opposes. Interestingly, in Aerith's "dream world," it is revealed that she was hiding in one of the worlds that was purportedly "ending" or "embracing its fate [to be merged/vanish]”.

Such circumstances share uncanny similarity to the ones EoC!Sephiroth is facing. Therefore, it's possible that EoC! Sephiroth isn't sealed/trapped by external force per se, but is concealing his presence. For what purpose? That remains to be seen. Peculiarly, FFVII Remake Ultimania provides different entries for Sephiroth we encounter at the end of Midgar’s highway and Sephiroth we talk to at the Edge of Creation.

Moving on. From a storytelling standpoint, it's deliberate that at the Edge of Creation he contemplates his journey to becoming who he is, what values he held and at what cost. His monologue about the cycle of hatred is particularly memorable.

Not only does the scene emphasize his caution when it comes to violence that he ostensibly came to develop after being part of Glenn's team, but also his lack of enthusiasm for it. Notably, he offers the enemy soldiers to stand down, not resorting to combat from the get-go. The monologue further conveys the desire to end the cycle of hatred.

So maybe asking Cloud to lend him strength wasn't a ploy or a trick after all, if EoC!Sephiroth is a being entirely distinct from Jenovaroth, one that remembers that once upon a time he strove to end the cycle of hatred and vengeance.

👋 @pen-and-umbra

[strayheartless]

Nice Cloud things that are pure headcanon but I like to think about (AGSZC friendship):

When Genesis first gets to know Cloud they bond over their mythology knowledge. Gen finds it fascinating to listen to Cloud about Fenrir and the old Nibel gods. Likewise Cloud is very interested about how Genesis worships the goddess. They end up doing some joint ceremonies together because their the only strongly religious people in the friend group.

Cloud is actually an excellent artist. He drew a lot when he was a kid and is mostly self taught. He bought some books when he got to midgar about colour theory and proper techniques and uses art as a way to destress often.

Following that he doesn’t really show his Sketch book to anyone, but Angeal has seen some of his art after they found out they had watercolours in common. It’s nice to sit with him and paint from time to time.

Cloud twirls his hair when he zones out or is comfortable enough to stim with people. When he was little he used to sit with his thumb in his mouth and his other hand twisting his hair. As an adult he usually only stims around Zack and his mom… though he has been known to let his guard down around Angeal too.

The first time he had a conversation with Sephiroth he very bluntly told him that he had split ends. He was later mortified but Zack and Genesis were on the floor Laughing.

He leans his head on peoples shoulders when he feels really safe. The first time Zack experienced this he actually cried. They’d all been talking after dinner and suddenly Cloud had plonked his head on Zack’s shoulder and closed his eyes. No one’s allowed to call it sweet or adorable. Cloud will murder them.

Kunsel once caught Cloud taking dog treats to the K-9 unit kennels. When asked why he liked it in there cloud replied “they don’t treat me differently. To them I’m the greatest person ever because I scratch their ears and feed them. I don’t have to perform.” Kunsel had to take a minute to compose himself in the brake room after that.

There is an older gentleman in the slums who stops to talk to Cloud every time he patrols. Cloud doesn’t really know why this man likes him so much, but he often finds himself helping the man carry his shopping bags and fixing his porch light. Cloud gets two days off a week and eventually he saves one of those every week to go and have tea with the man.

Cloud keeps most of his valuable things in Zacks spare room after a couple of cruel Cadets strung the contents of his footlocker across the parade square. Zack thinks of the room as “Clouds room” anyway, and he’s there most nights.

Cloud never used to like his birthday as a kid. His mom always used to try her best to make it special but Cloud felt guilty that she made herself bend over backwards just to make him a cake. With the first pay check he gets as an infantryman he sends her a gift on his birthday and hers to thank her for loving him.

Later when he’s friends Zack, they go on a trip to Gongaga and then Nibelheim to compare notes on backwater upbringings and to be spoiled by both mothers. Claudia makes him a cake and Cloud tells her he loves her so much.

[drabblesandimagines]

Materia Pops

Vincent Valentine x reader Fluffy nonsense, potential for minor spoilers depending on your knowledge of the FFVII compilation, and Vincent is def out of character at this point in the game but let me dream...

Costa del Sol seems stiflingly hot this visit round, though maybe that’s more due to the manner in which you’d arrived, frazzled and somewhat flustered from the events over the past few days – surviving the trials of Hojo’s laboratory, followed by the Tiny Bronco making a crash landing and then Cid rejigging the craft into a boat to make it back to the beach resort.

It had been hectic and frightening, meaning you were given little opportunity to converse with the newest member of your ragtag crew, one Vincent Valentine, after a more than questionable introduction.

It had all happened so fast – the so-called security guard transforming into a hulking beast, leaving your party with more than a fair number of bruises and abrasions as you fought. The noises were sickening as he had returned back to his body – bones cracking, splintering in all direction, accompanied by pained grunts as he lay catching his breath upon the floor.

Cait Sith had approached, cautiously, saying something about how Vincent was a former Turk and had some history with Sephiroth.

You’d watched as he struggled to get up to his feet, limping back towards his sanctum. You don’t know exactly why you rushed forward when he stumbled, trying to steady him by his elbow. You felt his arm tense under your fingers, before his eyes flashed red and he yanked himself free from your touch with such ferocity, sending you crashing on your tailbone on the concrete floor. Only a second later, Barret’s gun arm cocked behind you, swiftly followed by a gust of air as Cloud readied his sword in retaliation.

You stumble back up to your feet with a poorly concealed wince, holding your hands aloft. “Sorry. I just-”

Vincent lurched forward, resting his cheek against the wooden door to catch his breath before he growled out an order.

“Get out… now.”

It was a complete surprise when he had boarded the plane hours later, after you’d downed a couple of potions and replenished your supplies within Nibelheim itself, somewhat thankful to say goodbye to the odd town. Vincent had made his way to the very back of the plane, giving a polite nod as he sat opposite, legs swiftly crossed, eyes cast down upon his lap.

Every once in a while, you swore his gaze fixed on you – a prickling feeling upon your scalp, though you’d never caught him looking, his chin tucked back under his collar so you couldn’t see the unspoken words on his lips.

Vincent had offered you a gloved hand when you’d hesitated, looking at the gap between the boat and the dock, worried you might fall by how big of a step it needed to be.

You’d taken it without hesitation and he’d pulled you up with ease, immediately releasing his grip once he seemed confident you were on safer footing.

“Thank you-” But he’d already turned and started to walk towards the ramp at an impressive speed.

The rest of the group seemed content to split up whilst Cid hung back to continue tinkering with the Bronco to make sure it could make the next part of its journey.

No-one was changing into beachwear at least – it didn’t feel right to truly relax, ready to set off again as soon as possible, but you decide you can at least wander the streets again, deciding to forego the segway this time.

“Beat the heat with this magical treat!” The vendor yells from his cart as you approach. “Materia pops have arrived in Costa del Sol…”

The small board positioned besides the cart shows iced globes upon sticks – all different flavours. It did look refreshing, especially as the sun bared down upon you.

You pull out your gil pouch, only to find it disappointingly empty. Of course, you’d spent the last of yours on potions and whatnot back at Nibelheim.

The vendor had already spotted you, beckoning you closer. “What will it be?”

“Ah, sorry… Gil’s a little light.” You apologise with a polite smile, putting your pouch back. “Maybe next time.”

You hurry away, deciding to head down to the shaded seats by the Card Carnival. You could spectate any matches going on down there and get out of the blazing heat – probably could even keep an eye on Cid...

It is a little cooler, thankfully – a refreshing breeze coming in off the sea. You lean back in the chair and take a deep breath, deciding to savour the moment of relaxation whilst you could, for you’d soon be traversing across again in search of the Temple of the Ancients.

It isn’t long until you are interrupted by a subtle clear of a throat. You open your eyes, finding Vincent of all people stood over you - a red Materia pop in his gloved hand, held out in a peace offering.

“I had to guess what flavour you would prefer – I hope I chose correctly.” 

You hesitate. “You got that for me?”

“Mm. I saw you at the cart earlier. It is my fault you are without gil, afterall.”

“Oh. No,” you shake your head in protest, but Vincent only extends the Materia pop in your direction once more.

“Consider it an apology for how I treated you when you tried to assist,” he pauses a moment, “if you would be willing to accept an apology from me, of course.”

You reach out and take grip the stick as he relinquishes his hold, not wanting to brush him off.

“Hardly necessary,” you shake your head, but take a lick of the pop, aware it’s beginning to drip in the midday sun. It’s refreshingly cold and sweet – made with real red fruits. “Thank you.”

Vincent nods, before he gestures at the seat besides you. “May I?”

“Please.”

He does so with a flourish of his cape, crossing his legs and then his arms, staring out into the horizon, as you eat your Materia pop in companiable silence.

It isn’t long before you hear Cid whistle – signaling he’s ready to depart when the rest of you are.

You swallow the last piece of your sweet treat before getting to your feet, Vincent immediately joining you – whether out of courtesy or urgency, you’re not sure.

“Thank you – again.”

There’s a hint of a smile on his face, though mostly obscured by his collar still. “I believe I chose correctly. Red is definitely your colour.”

“What makes you say that?” You raise an eyebrow, eyes flickering between him and the card tables as the two of you weave your way between them.

“It has stained your lips to a rather pleasing degree.”

You stop on the spot, face burning at his compliment, unsure what to say in response. However, the opportunity has passed with Vincent somehow already a dozen steps ahead of you.

You can only hope the heat in your cheeks has died down by the time you take your places back in the back of the boat.

--

Masterlist . Requests welcome . Ko-fi

Comments, reblogs and likes make my whole day x

[prismaticpichu]

Nibelheim Roadblock #1 ~ “Flip-Phone”

Sent by @altocat!! Tysm!! <3

~

“I want to be alone.”

Zack had been told that a total of three times—a total of three times, to match the three times he had tried to visit Sephiroth in that godforsaken library. One visit for the first three days he had been holed up there. And the thing was that each time it got gradually more aggressive, too, morphing and sharpening from an aching, quiet request to a jagged snarl. The last one had been a snarl, anyway. The guy simply whipped around the second he crossed the threshold and told him to get away.

So… going back wasn’t exactly an option.

It then occurred to him, a staggering three days later, that he didn’t need to go back.

Sephiroth had his PHS with him. His PHS.

Conveniently, ShinRa also made sure he had the best of the best too—y’know, the ones with insanely long battery life that could survive perhaps a week without being touched? Yeah. Sephiroth had that in his pocket the whole damn time.

Thus, the plan was simple: call Sephiroth, as opposed to potentially losing a finger trying to go back. The worst he could do was not answer, right? And then he could just keep calling until he did. Sephiroth would have to tell him to shut up eventually.

So, sitting on an old bench in the heart of town, Zack punched in his friend’s number and brought the phone to his ear

———

Little did anyone know that Her grasp was near complete. Sephiroth sat completely still in that desk, a book open, yet having long stopped digesting any of the words written. It was futile; he already had absorbed everything that he needed to know—everything to give Her life, to nourish Her, to finally give Her a voice that could breathe hexing calls into his ears.

And now, with his mind a barren field, She was ready. At last. Ready to sew the final, culminating thought that would end it all.

Leave this place.

Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed, listening.

Unleash that rage. That hatred. Let those humans suffer for what they did to you.

Sephiroth reached into his pocket, fingers grazing the spherical contours of a Firaga.

Burn the—

BRIIIIINNGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!

The obnoxious sound cut through the silence—RENDED IT—exploding across the hollow noiselessness that had fallen over the past seventy two hours. And as most explosions do, it sent the hapless individual who happened to be in its radius flying backwards.

Sephiroth jolted up from his chair in a sudden, whipping stand—and coupled with the lack of hydration or nourishment in a dangerously long amount of time, the abrupt movement was not something his body was willing to handle. The headache came on fast—BLITZED HIM—his hands flying to his head in a viselike clutch as he stumbled backwards and into the nearest bookshelf. Countless records cascaded down, each and every one managing to crash against the startled warrior’s skull, one after another, bringing Sephiroth to his knees as he proceeded to crumble against the now-skeletal bookshelf.

Needless to say that a goddamn eruption was not was Zack was expecting to hear when the line clicked. He dropped everything then, tearing through the town and into the manor and down the stairs and towards the library where he prayed with everything he had that all limbs were still in their respective sockets.

They were.

What he found upon arriving was Sephiroth, still very much intact, but slumped bonelessly against an empty bookshelf, a lonesome Firaga having rolled under the desk like a runaway meatball.

“Oh my god, Seph!” Zack bolted to his side and melted to his knees, sweeping books off his body like fallen debris. “Hey, can you hear me? Are you okay?”

Thankfully, it was only a few beats that passed before Sephiroth struggled his eyes open.

“Mnhm… My head….” he moaned feebly.

Relief crashed over the boy, relaxing back on his knees. “Yeah….” he said with an assuaged sigh. “That looked like a pretty nasty spill.”

“…Is clear….”

Zack blinked. “Huh?”

“The buzzing….” Sephiroth elaborated. “N’it’s…. gone.”

“….’Buzzing?’” Zack parroted, not any less confused than a few seconds ago.

“She told me…. to listen… but I didn’t want to, at first….” Sephiroth coughed. “Then the buzzing started….”

Oh man. He hit his head so hard that he was delirious.

Zack’s eyes softened into concerned sympathy, and he promptly slipped under his friend’s arm then, using his own body as a makeshift crutch as he carefully arched his spine and aided Sephiroth to a stand.

“Let’s get you out of here, buddy. A nice long nap will cure that headache of yours in no time.”

And your brain.

Sephiroth didn’t protest as Zack began guiding him towards the door, one step at a time, didn’t struggle or balk or question as he was gingerly led up the stairs and back into the foyer, back into the dank upstairs level that he hadn’t graced since nearly a week prior.

But it was there at the door, before they stepped into the liberating Nibelheim air, that Sephiroth let a single, slurred word roll viscously from his tongue. He was hardly aware of it, was hardly aware of its weight. He just knew it meant something.

“Mon… ster….”

It didn’t take much thought to realize what he was insinuating. It didn’t take much time to think of a response, either. Not when we had been thinking it non stop for the past seven days.

“You’re not.” Zack gave his friend a reassuring squeeze, keeping his voice soft yet vehement. “Genesis was wrong, you hear me? You are you, buddy. No matter what funky alien DNA you got. You can’t forget that too… okay?”

They stepped out into the wintry, amber dusk, a funny smile crossing Zack’s lips.

“Y’know, was actually gonna tell you all that on the phone. Thought maybe it’d get through to your ears better.”

….Phone?

Even with consciousness sloshing around in his head, fading in and out in its wavering dance, Sephiroth still caught that single, strange word. And it did something, inside him… sparked something—a memory, and that memory had someone in it…. a shape he recognized… a name he remembered… And that memory, through all the questions still swimming around in his head, through the aches and open wounds, managed to break through to the surface.

“….Zack….” Sephiroth mumbled.

Zack’s face came alight with a smile, another surf of relief crashing. “Yeah, buddy. I’m right here.”

“….This is…. the second time… you caused me physical pain with a phone call.”

[ariseur]

im this ongoing sephiroth fic (pre nibelheim) where reader is a materia developer and im interested in what ur take on that would be !!!! like reader works for shinra and just coincidentally (at first) keeps bumping into THE war hero who’s secretly growing an interest for them…

if anyones interested btw the fic is called “be soft with me” by sephirothkisser on ao3! 🎐

“i admire how dedicated you are to your work.” a cool voice interrupted your thoughts, the whirring of the mako beginning to flutter in the process of the materia development fell dead to your ears as you turned around quickly. he— sephiroth— looked down at you, a few silver strands of hair in his face with his head tilted at a weird angle. you had almost choked, a clipboard tucked beneath your arm and a few more seconds of silence before your fingers hit a rounded button, stopping the formation as the awaited seconds had already passed by in a flash.

“i— thank you.” you had finally gasped out, although the syllables felt numb on your tongue whilst you scooted over to the side, leaning over the evolving console and grasping the orb within your hands. it painted your hand with a green glow, its healing aura whirling within the cold sphere before you set it down in a neat, linear pile with some other materia. grabbing the clipboard from under your arm, you set it down on the counter to jot something down.

you glanced at him cautiously once more and he cocked his head to the side, “is something wrong?”

brows raised, you let out a nervous laugh as you hastily waved your free hand in a denying manner. “i just, wasn’t expecting a war hero to grace me with his presence.”

“please,” he held a hand up, “no need to act so formal around me.”

“i’m sorry, you had just— caught me off guard, is all.” you gave a meager smile, before turning around and editing some controls on the console before you, feeling sephiroth loom behind as the cool scent of him engulfed your senses, albeit he was only maybe seven inches away from you. “my apologies, then.” he said.

a small, tense silence wriggled its way between you, only the occasional footsteps of shifting throughout the lab and the sounds of forming the materia. bright colors illuminated the core of the lab, creating one big emulsion of the mako’s glow and your skin on your face.

you huffed, wiping your forehead with the sheen layer of sweat from both moving around and having shinra’s poster child observing your every move. although he wasn’t exactly in your peripheral, sephiroth’s gaze was heavy enough to weigh down your motions as your mind raced. “so,” you began, “how’s your day been?”

his teal eyes, mako coated and catlike, squinted as he gave a close mouthed laugh. your heart fluttered at the sound— imagine how impressive it was to be able to boast to your friends about how you’ve made the sephiroth, laugh. “my day’s been decent, how about yours?”

“my what?” your gaze stayed focused on your pen moving along the paper pinned against the wooden clipboard.

“your day. how was it?” he approached you, placing a gentle hand on the counter, his leather glove sticking out against the stainless steel. you looked back up, lips forming an ‘o’ in surprise as your remembered your train of thought.

“oh—! it’s been.. okay. i’ve been,” you trailed off as you gestures towards the slew of materia displayed on the slots in the counter ready for deployment, “at work.”

sephiroth huffed in amusement, “well, as much as i’d love to continue speaking with you more,” you looked at him with owlish eyes, “i must take my leave.”

you smoothed out your hair, knowing you must look disheveled from how long you’ve been working. you flashed him a warm smile, “thank you keeping me company.” he nodded, fixing his posture and standing up straight.

“of course,” he made his way to the entrance of which he came into, “perhaps i’ll stop by again another day, maybe to check and see if you’re still developing deformed materia.”

your eyebrows furrowed before turning to your newest chunk, seeing as it has become lopsided from how long you had left it due to how long this conversation with sephiroth had lasted. he laughed at your franticness to check the clipboard before he bid you one last goodbye and slipped past the door frame and into another room.

you looked back up only to find his silver ends flowing behind him as he exited your line of sight, the distant clack’s of his footsteps became the only piece of evidence of his presence in the room— now slowly fading away. you huffed as you tucked your hair behind your ear, closing your eyes as your chest rose with your deep breath. maybe you were looking forward to those visits after all, you thought, although you’d never tell anybody that. not even the great war hero, sephiroth, himself.

❥ oyé im sorry this was sitting in my inbox for so long!! but guys, make sure to check this person’s fics out, ive read some chapters and they’re literally SOO talented!! i loved this idea and once again apologize for how long it’s been vacant in my asks, i wasn’t sure how to go about it at first but i hope you enjoyed 💕!!

𐙚 taglist ; @snoopicle

[strelitzia-mystery1097]

What does Roche's fate mean for the lore?

*spoilers for FF7 Rebirth*

So yeah Roche becomes a Sephiroth Clone. Gets the black cloak and all that.

But... how?

We see 'SC4' for the tattoo and Hojo experiment on him, so that means that he was given S Cells and became a Sephiroth Clone right?

But that's not quite how it works.

Remember Zack was supposed to be a Sephiroth Clone too. But due to being a SOLDIER he wasn't affected by the S Cells and was deemed a failure.

The procedure to become a SOLDIER is said to be more or less the same than the procedure to make a Sephiroth Clone, according to Cloud in FF7 after he remembers his real memories. But yeah SOLDIERS get injected and exposed with mako and Jenova Cells and then the strong become SOLDIERS.

I don't know if it's J Cells or S Cells specifically that gets used in the SOLDIER procedure, but I found this in the wiki and it implies it being S Cells.

*In Junon during Final Fantasy VII the player can talk to an old man in the top floor of a shop who remarks he used to be in SOLDIER. It is unknown what rank or member he was, but later in the game he starts to wear a cape, similar to Sephiroth-clones, stating that he got a sudden urge to dress that way. This hints at SOLDIER members being given Jenova cells as well as mako infusion. In Final Fantasy VII Remake, the kids in the Sector 5 slums mention that the ill robed man that has wandered there used to be a SOLDIER.* -SOLDIER FF7 Wiki.

So I guess if given enough time, SOLDERS become Sephiroth clones, with those with a weaker aptitude for mako and/or Jenova being the first to lose themselves. This being a typical SOLDIER'S type of degradation.

(Angeal and Genesis's degradation is different due to them having G Cells)

But despite Zack being experimented on and probably given a lot of S Cells, he didn't turn into a Sephiroth clone and was unaffected. Hojo himself on the reports says it's due to him being a SOLDIER.

So how I interpret it is that Zack's body has already adapted to the S Cells he already had. Jenova is adaptive and can mutate like that. So when he got more S Cells, the news ones just adapted and copied what the S Cells in his body was already doing instead of what it's supposed to do in a subject that doesn't have pre-existing Cells in them, like the survivors of Nibelheim or Cloud.

Basically the added S Cells are reprogrammed to be like SOLDIER variation and not the puppet Sephiroth Clone variation.

Maybe if Zack lived longer he would of would slowly degradated, but I assume it would of taken years for that to happen.

So how did Roche degrade so quickly and become a Sephiroth Clone?

Well... what did Hojo recently learn?

That Sephiroth Clones and the cells can fuse to create better monsters. And that Cloud is subconsciously heeding the call of Reunion.

What if Hojo is fusing samples together to see if they become more effective?

Roche does have 'SC' on his arm. So S is for Sephiroth and C is for Cloud, that's what I think anyways. (Also if Hojo had some Sephiroth samples he had left in the Manor, then he definitely has some in Midgar. He also probably has samples of Cloud despite him being a failure. It would be bad science to discard it even if it failed.)

And somehow the fusion of both, was able to create a type of Cell that can now degrade SOLDIERS in a manner of days or hours.

(I guess this also ties in that plot line from Crisis Core about Zack's S Cells are worthless, but Cloud's aren't and Genesis needed those Cells to try and fix himself. Remember 'No way he just ate my hair'? Now I'm curious if Cloud's Cells would of actually cured Genesis, or would he of become a Sephiroth Clone? Hmm...)

But yeah...

Not sure if this counts a theory or not.

[myheartismadeofstars]

I want Genesis to go mad scientist.

Genesis, who misses Angeal and Sephiroth so much that he's willing to "Play Hojo" to get them back.

First, he brings back Angeal. Angeal is deeply uncomfortable with it. He shouldn't be alive and he knows it. Maybe for fun, Angeal still remembers being dead.

Bringing Sephiroth back is harder. His mind was so fragile, and then so corrupted by JENOVA that they need to use his physical body to get rid of the...mess made of his soul.

In order to try and "fix" Sephiroth's mind he tries to rework his memories. According to Sephiroth's memories, he had been in a coma for like, eight years after an accident in Nibelheim (when Sephiroth learns Genesis was there, and there was a fire his immediate response is "What did you DO, Genesis?!"). He already knew his mother, Doctor Lucrezia Crescent, years before the incident, but no one knows what happened to her.

Angeal doesn't like lying to Sephiroth, but he admits that it's better than losing him to instability. (Sephiroth still gets flashes of things he doesn't remember. And probably eventually runs into Cloud while running errands or something)

[jadegretz]

Tifa Lockhart: Shadows of Nibelheim by Jade Gretz

The howling wind ripped through the skeletal remains of Midgar, carrying the stench of decay and desperation. Tifa Lockhart, her once vibrant auburn hair now streaked with silver, stood atop a crumbling skyscraper, her gaze fixed on the churning storm clouds above. Below, the ravaged city stretched out like a graveyard bathed in the sickly glow of a half-moon.

Five years had passed since Sephiroth's fall. Five years since the Lifestream had cleansed the world, or so everyone thought. Yet, a new darkness had crept in, a silent, insidious invasion that gnawed at the very fabric of reality.

Strange anomalies had begun appearing - distorted shadows that stretched unnaturally, whispers on the wind that weren't quite human. Then came the creatures - shapeless entities of pure malevolent energy, fueled by the lingering nightmares of a city once ravaged by war.

Tifa, hardened by years of fighting Shinra and protecting what remained of humanity, had taken up the mantle of protector once again. Tonight, the creatures had become bolder, swarming the ruins in greater numbers than ever before.

A guttural growl echoed through the night, pulling her attention from the churning sky. A monstrous entity, a writhing mass of inky-black tendrils and glowing red eyes, emerged from the shadows at the street level. Others followed, their forms shifting and undulating, feeding off the fear radiating from the few survivors huddled in the city's underbelly.

Tifa adjusted the worn leather straps of her fighting gloves, the familiar weight a source of comfort in this desolate world. A surge of righteous anger sparked within her - these creatures would not feast on the remnants of humanity.

With a battle cry that echoed through the ruined streets, she launched herself from the rooftop. She landed gracefully amongst the throng of monsters, her gloved fists a blur of deadly power. Her martial arts training, honed over years of fighting, found new purpose against these otherworldly foes.

Unlike the mechanical soldiers and monstrous fiends she had faced before, these creature …(see the rest of the story at deviantart.com/jadegretzAI). For more supergirl, chun li, batgirl, tifa, lara croft, wonder woman, rogue and much more, please visit my page at www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai - Thanks for your support :)