#such as what results of hojo doing things to people

[altocat]

More cringe memes. Lucrecia Edition.

[michanvalentine]

Things about Vincent Valentine that I read around and piss me off.

"Vincent should have done more!"

It is one of the most common observations. And I hate it! What he was supposed to do exactly? Ok, let's take a step back and pretend we're in the real world and not in a fantasy action video game. Vincent was a highly trained Turk and an excellent marksman. That's not enough to say that he was definitely also a cold piece of shit ready to do any job. In fact, I believe that Vincent was the exact opposite of this and that he was not cut out to be a Turk at all. Which is why he got into trouble. "Stern and upright" is how Square Enix describes him, so we're talking about a person who has great morals and a high sense of duty. And these two things don't always go together. To this we must add the naivety he had as a young man (evident in DoC) and his great empathy towards others (which FF VII Rebirth is highlighting a lot). So when Lucrecia decided to use the fetus as an experiment, Vincent found himself in an impossible situation, where morality and duty were at odds. Human experimentation disgusted him, but his role was as a bodyguard, nothing more. His duty was to watch and let the scientists do their work. Furthermore, at that moment no one could imagine what the result of such experiments would be and what Sephiroth would do in the future. So we're talking about a man torn by his own principles, full of doubts and, lest you forget, heartbroken. It is not easy to act in a situation like this. But he couldn't ignore his own morals, so despite his role he tried to reason with Lucrecia first and then he confronted Hojo, with the consequences we know. Did he have to kidnap Lucrecia? Did he have to kill Hojo? Did he have to burn the Shinra Mansion to the ground? Let's be honest, normal people don't act this way. And Vincent Valentine was the sanest one in the middle, so he paid for it. But even if Vincent had freaked out and gone down the path of violence, there would have been consequences and it would probably have ended the same way.

But let's go back to Lucrecia for a moment. Vincent's naivety and empathy did not allow him to notice the red flags. He only saw the best and deepest part of her, the fragile, kind and brilliant one. When she pushed him away, he still behaved as correctly as possible. He stepped aside, hoping that she would be happy. There is no selfishness, there is no possessiveness. This is called unconditional love, and it is very rare. Should he have claimed Lucrecia for himself even if she didn't want it? Fight the other man to get the woman back? Continue to chase her proclaiming his love like a crazy? These are some traits of toxic masculinity. Vincent left her absolute freedom, he respected her choices as a woman, as an adult and as a scientist, even if his sensitivity allowed him to understand some things before she could notice them herself. And that's why Vincent's question "are you sure this is what you really want" hurts so much. He knew it. He knew she would love that child.

The fact that Vincent feels like a failure who was unable to protect the woman he loved and her child is understandable. But this is only his feeling, his perception of himself in a situation way bigger than him. So no one will ever be able to get it out of my head: Vincent Valentine did everything a good man with his hands tied behind his back could have done. He went out of line for Lucrecia and Sephiroth, and was killed for it.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Do you think there's ever been a day close to Nibelheim to where Sephiroth just...snaps. Full breakdown in front of his friends over whatever. How would they deal with that?

Not exactly like Nibelheim, because that was the result of a gradual, slow burn until it exploded. However there was another moment, one that anyone who had been in Sephiroth's immediate vicinity would regard as the pinnacle of his fury—a moment that had nothing to do with his mother, or the events that would ultimately lead to his undoing.

Sephiroth was not a man who held onto many things. Besides his sword and the locket with his mother's photo, he didn't become attached to objects. What mattered to him were people—people were his lifeline, the seem ripper that tore the constraints of the detachment he had been raised in.

Genesis and Angeal had somehow crept into his heart after he had sworn off wearing it on his sleeve, and even though it made him vulnerable, he couldn't let them go. He clung to them fiercely as they became the singular reason he had to keep going.

Hojo had noticed. As always, his interest was piqued by Sephiroth's emotional connections. He began to study these emotional reactions, wondering how Sephiroth would behave if those people, the ones he "cared about", were taken away from him. How would Sephiroth react if they were killed? What would it do to his brain, his mind? Hojo intended to find out. If the experiment led to the loss of Sephiroth's emotional stability, so be it. Perhaps this would finally harden his mind, making him less vulnerable, less inclined to lay his head upon the lap of whoever offered him the comfort of a simple pat.

The opportunity came when Angeal and Genesis were deployed to Wutai. It was a routine mission, a two-month absence that left Sephiroth back at Headquarters, alone. And despite his stoicism, Sephiroth missed them terribly. He couldn't wait to fight alongside them again, to hear their voices and feel their presence beside him. He kept up with reports, stayed updated on their mission, but the silence was eating him alive.

Then Sephiroth was summoned to Hojo's lab for a routine check-up and exam. He expected the usual procedure, the impersonal interaction, but this time something was different. Hojo's words slipped out casually, as if by accident.

"Such a shame that Hewley and Rhapsodos were killed in Wutai,' Hojo said. "A tragic loss, don't you think?"

Sephiroth looked up. "Wh...what?"

Hojo was unapologetically giddy. "It was a mistake to deploy them so deep into enemy territory, but we're sure it was their time." He went on, casually, as if discussing the weather. "Their deaths were a necessary part of the plan to bring about Shinra's glory."

Sephiroth's heart didn't stop—no, that would've been merciful compared to the feeling of the organ threatening to tear from his chest.

Hojo handed him the mission report.

He took it with trembling hands.

It was real. The words were there, clear and damning. Genesis and Angeal, dead. Killed in action. His vision blurred. His chest tightened. Hojo's words were distant, but unyielding.

"Don't act so surprised, Sephiroth." Hojo clasped his hands behind his back and regarded him with calculating eyes. "You couldn't possibly have believed that they were your equals, that they were as invincible as you are."

Sephiroth slammed his fist onto the table, the force enough to completely break through the metal surface beneath him. Angeal's smile, Genesis' laugh—everything was consumed by the raw, unquenchable rage.

Hojo didn't flinch. He simply observed, clinically, watching a subject in an experiment, even when the anger was directed at him through the tip of Masamune's blade.

The fire spread as quickly as Sephiroth's mind shattered. He was no longer calm, no longer rational, no longer human years before the idea of being a monster would cause him to lash out. He was a beast, enraged, out of control. His anger was destructive and the flames were uncontrollable.

Hojo escaped, barely, as the fire churned in the air, licking the walls, consuming everything in its path. People screamed, people ran, and they all tried to escape the inferno that was Sephiroth's grief.

Hojo had no regrets, not after witnessing firsthand what Sephiroth could truly become when pushed to his limits.

The restraints came quickly after that. Sephiroth fought them, thrashing, trying to break free, but the sedatives took hold. His body went limp, the rage retreating only to be replaced by an overwhelming sense of emptiness. He was locked away and sedated.

When Sephiroth finally came to, hours—or was it days?—later, he was told that the reports had been a "mistake". That Genesis and Angeal were alive. But the damage was done, people were hurt, Hojo had gotten what he wanted, and Sephiroth felt disgusting.

And Genesis and Angeal would never know. They would never know how close he had come to losing himself, how his grip on reality had slipped through his fingers. They would never understand the depth of what they meant to him, because they hadn't seen it. When they returned, they were confused. His hugs were too tight, too desperate. He clung to them, everywhere they went, but even as they did their best to accommodate his spontaneously volatile emotions the weeks after, they didn't understand. They didn’t know the depths of what he had gone through, the devastation he had felt.

This event numbed him. When Angeal died and Genesis was later believed dead, Sephiroth felt the grief, but it was muted. He cried in private. The dread overtook the grief and squashed his appetite.

The emotions he had once felt so intensely had been used up in that explosion of rage. Even as he mourned their loss, he wanted so desperately for it all to be a mistake. A mistake, just like before. That somehow, just like with the lie, they would come back to him. But no, this time he truly was all alone.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #76

You know. After a day or so to process this version of events, I think I can finally put into words why so many people cry out for your blood, but not Rufus's or his father's, even though they've done things that are arguably far worse than anything you've ever done. Goodness, but isn't it the same age-old story of people villainizing abuse victims for striking back while excusing the abuser that broke the survivor to that point? And we see it all the time in my world; nobody does anything about bullying at school until the bullied person finally punches their bully in the face, and then the bully gets off scot-free while the victim gets suspended. I think of spouses who, backed into a corner and trying to defend themselves, strike back at the spouse who has been abusing them, and the spouse defending themselves gets charges pressed while the other one who had been abusing them gets pitied. I think about trafficked humans (many of them are snatched up as CHILDREN) who, in an effort to get free or to defend themselves, strike back at the person trafficking them and escape, only to then face a world who hates them for having been trafficked. And all of these things have one thing in common: the price for escaping from being "owned" is often another form of punishment or imprisonment.

Of course, I am not saying that people should call for Rufus's or his father's blood, either. Or even for Hojo's. They are not different from you - either they have congenital defects in the parts of their brain that are responsible for empathy (and pretending like this is a moral issue instead of a brain wiring issue is ableism), or they've lived lives that have beaten their psyches into a shape that makes them think that hurting other people and treating them like objects is the only way to survive. This is ALSO a brain wiring issue - though this kind of brain wiring issue is better classified as a psychological injury (due to attachment disruption or childhood trauma) than as an illness or congenital defect.

Yeah, you read all of that right. I said what I said and I meant it, and I know that people aren't gonna like it, but today I am tired and bitter from all the shit I'm seeing, and out of fucks to give as a result. I don't demonize Rufus or his father. I don't demonize Hojo, either. They have done horrific and inexcusable things and I feel very angry in response to that, but they need HELP. They, too, are capable of making a different choice and turning around. Imagine that. It's almost as though calling for mercy for you (or in other words, "being a Sephiroth fan" or a "Sephiroth apologist", as people like to call folks like me for the purpose of degrading us) has absolutely nothing to do with your looks or with trying to "fix" you so I can date you (I'm sorry, but the idea of "fixing" a person to get with them is absolutely fucking barftastic🤢🤮), or whatever other bullshit nonsense that people who have never been through severe and ongoing grooming or abuse without any kind of support (support can be from a teacher, friend, other family member, etc.) like to accuse us of. Hoodathunkit?

I think, too, that lots of people see that potentially destructive side of you in themselves, and I think they would rather see people who lapse in reining it in die than acknowledge that it's within them, too. Or perhaps living a life that is painful enough to break them into such a horrific shape is unfathomable to them. Either way, one fact remains: people don't want to own up to the fact that literally every single one of us has the capacity to do something similar to what you did, if their life circumstances break them in the way that leads to that kind of terrible, tragic, infuriating, and wholly inexcusable outcome. You're not some especially monstrous thing. You're not a lone goddamn wolf or a rare exception to some general rule or an isolated fucking edge case. And I know it because people in my world make choices similar to yours EVERY SINGLE DAY, even if their means of enacting those choices differ from yours.

The capacity to inflict horror upon other living things is part of the human condition. It is in ALL OF US, whether we want to fucking acknowledge it or not. And all it takes to bring it out is a long enough string of psychologically damaging events in the absence of appropriate support. Cases like yours are NOT random events caused by "inherently bad people"; there's no such fucking thing as "inherently bad people". There are conditions and events that lead to people doing horrific things, and these conditions and events can be found and prevented before they get to that point, if only everyone keeps their eyes open and pays attention! I spend as much time as I can trying to reach those that conventional wisdom says are "unreachable" PRECISELY in service to trying to keep my eyes open and pay attention!

Because horrific events and bad choices are like bacteria - they DO NOT spontaneously generate ("spontaneous generation theory" used to be a thing that people believed about microorganisms a long time ago)! Conditions LEAD TO THEIR GROWTH. And the solution to a person afflicted with bacteria is NOT to kill or demonize them (though this is how they used to be treated; check out most of human history!)! You're supposed to give them antibiotics to REMOVE THE CONDITIONS THAT ALLOW FOR BACTERIAL GROWTH. And the same rules apply to people who make violent choices - you remove the conditions that produce the choices, NOT the person who made them. But goddammit, I am only one person, and… fuck, there are just SO. MANY. STARFISH… stranded on the beach sand…

Also, you know… even as far back as the original game, anyone with half a brain understood that you must have been crying, weeping, sobbing openly during your time at the library. In this version of events, we saw you do that for just a moment before it was choked back and replaced with… something else (I know what this is like; I still have the capacity to cease crying immediately via dissociation; this skill was literally beaten into me, and I imagine it's the same for you). And in my world, it's popular to believe that men should never cry or be vulnerable in any way, shape, or form (this bit of socio-cultural bullshit is actually generational trauma, and it's literally fucking killing people, in the form of internalized or externalized violence), so lots of people here are going to have less empathy for you at least in part because you defied the "cultural norms" of what it means to be a man and a leader (again, this is generational trauma mistaken for culture, and it needs to fucking stop because people are dying over it). And it's so… it's so…

Ugh… Sephiroth, all of the things I know, all the suffering in the world, all the causes of it… it's all swirling around in my head today, and it's heavy. It's so fucking heavy. Watching all the people, every single one of them beautiful and good, doing what they do to themselves and each another, hurting themselves and each other, psychologically or physically maiming themselves and each other, even torturing and killing themselves or each other, all because somehow doing these things feels easier than trying to repair and restore everything… they don't know what they're doing. And there's not… there's not a damn thing I can do about it. I look at the state of things on a large scale. Our dying planet. The endless wars. The marginalized groups of people. The violence and the hate crimes. The genocides. I want to cry and to scream and to throw up all at once.

…But I suppose much of that is neither here nor there. Suppose anyone with "conventional wisdom" would tell me I'm "reading too goddamn much" into a "silly video game", but… given that the media in our world LITERALLY PERPETUATES STEREOTYPES THAT KILL PEOPLE, I gotta say I'm more than a little fucking bitter about that today.

In any case… you - an abused, exploited, and bullied person most of your life - escaped being owned by Shinra (in the clumsiest and most ridiculous and horrible fucking way possible, but still), only to find yet another goddamn chain around your neck. If it's not Jenova controlling you, then it's your trauma and conditioning pulling the strings. Either way you're acting like a goddamn puppet. There, I said it. And as much as I love you, if you don't like that I said it, then too fucking bad; maybe try actually DOING something about it.

Sephiroth. As much as I love you, I am always going to be more than a little pissed about the fact that you squandered your voice so recklessly back then. I'm always going to be more than a little pissed about the fact that you fucking! abused! yourself! for a week! until you broke! WHAT THE FUCK.

If you had simply! Told people! What you had been put through! If you had told them what Shinra was doing! If you had simply opened your freaking mouth to talk about your experiences to a bunch of people who practically worshipped you, you would have eventually had millions of people rallied with you to put an end to Shinra! Sephiroth, for fuck's sake, YOU WERE A GODDAMN GENERAL!! You know how to lead people! And you know how to protect them! Get a goddamn grip!

And I know that the mayor guy acted all entitled to your time while you were exhausted and still grieving for your friends, and it was shitty of him to pass judgment on you when he had no idea what you were going through. But ultimately, it is up to YOU to communicate your needs and feelings, not up to the people around you to anticipate what they are! And I know that the guy took your picture without your permission, and I know they didn't heed when you said "not today". But there is a difference between "having no respect for your word" and "being so excited and happy about your presence that they are unable to contain themselves". It is still up to YOU to maintain your boundaries even if other people don't like it!

Sephiroth! I know that you were struggling! And I know that you spent your whole life being bullied and abused to the point that you felt as though your voice had no power. I know that. I understand that. I am still dragging myself up out of that hole. I know that you were trying to punish evil, and that you saw these people as being complicit in the system that hurt you, your friends, your mother (who I assume you now know is Lucrecia, NOT Jenova), and your planet. I get that you were trying to punch your bullies back in their faces, but you punched the WRONG PEOPLE. And even then: why punch people when you can instead wield your voice!

Sephiroth, despite the harshness of your upbringing and all the other things that make you stand out, you still have privilege! You have status! You have fame! You have power! You have a remarkably able male body! YOU ARE THE KIND OF PERSON THAT PEOPLE LISTEN TO! You have a face that people are willing to see! You have a voice that people are willing to hear! And there is a difference between holding people accountable for being complicit in a system that benefits them, and punishing people for existing in a system (even if that system benefits them) that they did not consent to being born into!

You can't even begin to imagine what I would be willing to give up in order to have a voice like yours, so that I could call for compassion and mercy in ways that would get people to open their eyes and take action in service to putting a stop to all the suffering that exists in this place that I live in.

But no. Instead of being brave and coming out of your shell to use your voice and social power in response to injustice and exploitation, you simply defaulted to your instinctual behaviors. You did the thing you've been trained to do. Like Pavlov's dog, the bell was rung and you drooled everyfuckingwhere. You used your power to cut everything down, instead of using your voice to rally people together for a cause that they ABSOLUTELY would have followed because YOUR face and YOUR voice would have been the one leading it.

Sephiroth. This fucking sucks. What you did to yourself in that library - starving, dehydrating, and sleep depriving yourself and pushing yourself past your limits while you were already strained - fucking sucks. And what you did in the throes of your agony also sucks. Punishing the people around you because your brain was addled and you didn't fucking fact-check what you were reading fucking sucks! And I do understand very well why you did all this; I was abused similarly to you, albeit in a far less extreme way, and thus a long time ago I used to think similarly to the way you did after your fall (I don't think that way anymore because I had help, thank freaking goodness). But IT STILL FUCKING SUCKS. And it was STILL unacceptable. You can't change what you did. But you can make a different choice, moving forward!

Conventional wisdom says that there is no coming back from having fallen, but I am living proof that in this case, "conventional wisdom" is GARBAGE. I would not be sitting here, imploring you to turn your eyes towards a kinder, more compassionate worldview - one that exists in stark defiance of everything I used to believe because of what I was taught as a child - if "conventional wisdom" were true. In addition, I have met other people in the course of my derping around on this broken fucken planet who also serve as proof that anyone, no matter what has happened to them or what they've done in the past, can rise up into making a different choice. And these cases, too, are not "edge" cases. They are not exceptions to a rule. The capacity to heal and grow and change - just like the capacity to hurt and regress and stagnate - is part of the human condition. And this means that anyone can turn around! No! Matter! How! Far! They've! Walked! In! The! Wrong! Direction!!

Goddammit, Sephiroth! Turn yourself around!! Because although I understand what you're trying to do, what you're doing is NOT the way to get it done! What you're doing is BULLSHIT! Maybe you think you're demonstrating your "phenomenal power" or whatever by breaking everything around you, but what you're REALLY doing is yielding to your conditioning like it's got a chain around your neck and a cattle prod in its hand! It's weaksauce! You ALREADY KNOW HOW TO BREAK THINGS. You've spent your whole life being forced to do that even when you didn't want to!

So you gonna, you gonna what? Sit here and claim that you're "the chosen one" or some fucking horseshit, as though you've taken your power back? When really you just took the easy route of doing the same old shit you've always done - bending over and making yourself a slave to someone else's fucked-up agenda, and becoming the very thing you reviled against SO HARD that you burned down an entire fucking village in disgust, despair, and rage? I ain't buyin' it, and neither should you! All you've done is exchanged one codependent relationship for another! And it's getting fucking old! You can do better than blind, subservient obedience to some random fucking space parasite that don't give even two shits about you as much as it cares about your capacity to allow it to resume its life cycle! You've gotta know that even if you really did manage to break everything (you won't, because I fucking promise you that you'll be stopped), as soon as you've served its purpose, it's gonna toss ya like yesterday's trash, if not outright consume you like a female mantis after it's done using its mate like a fucktoy!

The developers said that we've only seen 1% of your power or some shit, but you fucking know what? You could wipe the whole goddamn universe clean. You could extinguish every last star. And STILL some random fucking autistic chick from some random fucking planet in a random fucking solar system in a random fucking galaxy has your ass beat in ALL the ways that count! And that's NOT ACCEPTABLE. I am nothing! I am NO ONE. Sephiroth!! COME ON ALREADY!!

You want strength? Do the work to defy your conditioning. Do the work to love the broken things. Do the work to become someone who does no harm yet takes no shit. Do the work to become someone who can remain soft even in this sharp and unforgiving world. Do the work to get out of your own damn way. Do the work to become someone who can treat yourself like you actually fucking matter. Do the work to get up off your knees and live. DO! THE! WORK! Don't just do the same thing you've always done and claim you've won! Don't act like a pigeon playing chess - shitting all over the board and then struttin' and swaggerin' around like you're some kind of grandmaster! That's NOT how this shit works! You haven't broken free of the pattern! All you've done is changed the hand holding your leash!

You have to stop blindly giving away your power to anyone who claims to love you! You have to stop using your power in service to the conditioning that tried to snatch away who you really are on the inside! They tried to steal away your gentleness! They tried to steal away your emotions! They tried to steal away your ability to cry, your ability to be vulnerable, your ability to be compassionate and loving! Are you just gonna sit here and let them? Are you going to keep pretending like you're cruel and hard-hearted just because a bunch of people who cared nothing for you told you that's how a proper warrior is supposed to be? Are you going to keep on like this, doing the same thing you've always done, just because taking the time to grieve and to make choices that are actually in alignment with your nature are things that feel too difficult for you to do?

…Fucking hell, but some days, clamoring for you to get your shit together feels A LOT like Atreyu trying to pull Artax up out of the swamp:

Come on!!! Turn around!!! You have to, NOW! You have to try!! You have to care!! You can't let the darkness overtake you! You gotta move or you'll die!! Please!! There's still life on the other side of mistakes. There's still life on the other side of despair. There's still life on the other side of rage, of loss, of shattering. It doesn't have to be permanent!

…I won't give up. Even if you leave those of us who care for you sitting and weeping in the middle of the swamp, staring forlornly, or in shock and in disbelief at the place where you sank, I'm not going to quit. I will keep calling out your name in hopes that you'll follow the sound back to the light. Because you're worth the effort. You're worth the pain. You're worth the grief.

I'll leave you with these:

Take the hands outstretched to you and get your ass out of the goddamn swamp. Having a swamp ass is not a good time for ANYONE involved. So please. I…

…I'll write to you tomorrow. Because I love you. In the same way that any person loves their friends. Do everything in your power to keep yourself and your planet and your friends safe. I'm begging you. Please.

Your friend, Lumine

[getvalentined]

I understand people giving Lucrecia the benefit of the doubt with regard to what she did to Vincent, just like I understand people not realizing how undeniably fucked up Gast was, but the important thing to keep in mind about these characters is that the majority of them are written as being in the throes of some pretty extreme cognitive dissonance.

It's not bad writing, it's that they're hypocrites. They reached a moral event horizon at some point, and they did what they felt they had to do when crossing it.

Gast abandoned a child because he wasn't what he wanted—even having raised Sephiroth up until that point and knowing that he was a pretty normal kid overall, as we can see from his behavior as a young teen in Ever Crisis, Gast still couldn't bear to continue to be responsible for a monster. He knew what Hojo was capable of, because he knew about what happened to Vincent, because it happened in his lab, and he left a literal child in his care anyway. Sephiroth's only crime was not being what Gast thought he was, and Gast damned him to a lifetime of torture under a "father" whose only goal was to use him to prove his own genius. Why? Because Gast had a goal, and the goal was what mattered, the ends justified any means he could devise. He was a man obsessed, driven to the verge of madness in his lust for the Promised Land. A religious zealot with the most powerful scientific team in the world at his disposal, ready to prove him right—and then he wasn't right, and the whole world fell apart underneath him. Ifalna gave him back that stability, because she was a real Ancient, and she gave him a new, better child to care for. A child that wasn't a monster, a child that was his, a child that might one day lead him to the Promised Land, if her mother didn't do so first. When Aerith was born, Gast got to be right again, and therefore all was right with the world. Sephiroth (like Genesis before him) may as well have never existed at all.

Lucrecia openly experimented on a man who loved her enough to die for her, going so far as to apparently use data from those experiments to improve her own academic standing, because she couldn't bear the guilt of being responsible for his death. It wasn't about whether it was the right thing to do, it wasn't about whether she loved him back, it wasn't even about her thesis at that point—she just couldn't continue to live having lost everything as a result of her own impatience, her own lack of regard for everyone around her. She killed her mentor through her own impatience, she gave up her son for experimentation, she didn't stop her husband from experimenting on her ex-lover, and she had nothing to show for it but crippling Jenova toxicosis and an equally crippling cowl of regret.

I could even go into Hojo here, how what he did to Sephiroth was a result of struggling to escape Gast's shadow, how what he did to Vincent was a result of him struggling to prove that he deserved his wife, how everything he did was born from the all-consuming need to do just one thing for which no one else could take credit. Hojo got the director position not because he earned it, but because Gast ran away. Hojo got Lucrecia not because he wooed her, but because he didn't have eyes like the unrequited first love that she killed. Hell, Project S only happened because Project G failed! Nothing Hojo has ever had that was worth anything was because of his work, only because the work of others failed. Why do you think he talks about "failures" the way he does? The failure of others is the only reason he's gotten so far, and he knows that any failure of his own will knock him right off that pedestal—and he's terrified.

None of these people are good people. I don't know that any of them ever were. But in their eyes, everything they did was justified, they took the right course of action, because they took the only course of action that their personal understanding of reality would allow them to take.

Were any of them actually right? Probably not. Certainly not, in some cases. But there's no going back on it now. The arrow has left the bow of the goddess, and there's no calling it back.

[strelitzia-mystery1097]

How in the heck do Jenova Cells even work?!

I will say here and now that I haven't watched/played/read every FF7 thing in this franchise so if something I talk about is actually clarified in some obscure thing or I get something wrong, then comment about it.

So let's start with the beginning. Who or what is Jenova.

...🤷‍♀️

We honestly have no idea about Jenova'a origins beyond her crash landing on Gaia via meteorite. We don't know if she's the only one of her kind, or if she has successfully destroyed planets before (considering in FF7 AC Sephiroth talks about using Gaia to travel to another planet, that meteorite was probably a planet Jenova destroyed). She's very much your typical cosmic horror creature. But wherever she's from, it's not the planet.

So Jenova crash landed and that damaged the planet, (an injury that the planet is still healing from, hence how wacky the Northern Crater looks) and then Jenova started using her hallucinations/shape shifting abilities on the Cetra to trick them. And then Jenova turned them into monsters. Yes, all the monsters in FF7 are Cetra or descendents of what was Cetra (kind of awkward when Aerith kills them lol).

Side tangent. I wonder if Jenova just works differently on different species. Like if Aerith was exposed to Jenova like what happened to her ancestors would she just turn into a monster instead of what happens to humans? Also does that make all the monsters part of Reunion or not? What would that Cell even be called. M (Monster) Cell? C (Cetra) Cell?

But yeah Jenova was trying to destroy the planet.

Eventually the remaining Cetra sealed Jenova away until 2000 years later she was excavated and mistakenly identified as a Cetra by Gast.

Later on Hojo created Project S and Hollander made Project G in an attempt to create a Cetra that could lead Shinra to the Promised Land.

In Project S, which stands for Sephiroth, Hojo injected Sephiroth directly with Jenova Cells when he was a fetus. In Project G, which stands for Gillian, is where Gillian was injected with Jenova Cells and her DNA was mapped onto Genesis as a fetus (Angeal, while he is part of Project G, was not purposely made for it. Angeal was naturally born after Gillian was injected with Jenova Cells).

The strands of Jenova Cells even function differently after being introduced into a human system, S Cells and G Cells.

Project S was the superior Project and most SOLDIER are created in a similar way to the later created Sephiroth Clones.

Remake implies that there are Project G SOLDIERS too, but it could of been referring to the Tsivets.

So...

How does the Cells function?

Starting with G will probably be shorter so I'll do that.

Genesis and Angeal, while not as powerful as Sephiroth, were still more powerful than most. However the prime time of powerful is short lived. Both of them start to degrade into their 20's and start developing some inhuman abilities.

*ALSO NOTE HERE THAT G CELL DEGRADATION IS DIFFERENT FROM S CELL DEGRADATION*

After an injury that doesn't heal, Genesis starts to degrade. His hair and body starts to go white, he grows a black wing, and most importantly, he can created Genesis Copies.

Genesis can map his cells onto other SOLDIERS and make them copies of him with them still retaining a little of thier former skill in their respective weaponry, otherwise they are just copies of Genesis.

However Angeal is the result of Project G. He has a wing like Genesis (right white wing) but his degradation is slower and he's able to make Angeal copies out of people and monsters. He only properly degrades (white hair and all that) when he tries to self destruct kinda when absorbs all those monsters and forces Zack to kill him.

I do personally find it interesting that G Cells seem to psudo-inherit Jenova's abilities to turn things into a different form. Even Sephiroth wasn't able to do that unless he was using part of Jenova's literal body- Well until Rebirth but we'll get to that.

But there are two things that stick out to me.

One, could Genesis or Angeal experience Reunion or would it be different for them? Is that why Genesis showed up in the Mt Nibel Reactor?

And two, why is Gillian normal? Like Lucrecia was injected with Jenova Cells as a by product of Sephiroth being injected when she was pregnant with him and she's stuck unable to die no mater what. But Gillian was directly injected with J Cells and she kills herself just fine. I honestly don't think there is an explanation for this one though.

Also when talking about G Cells I should talk about the Tsivets but-

I never played DoC and I tried watching Maximilian dood's playthrough of it and I just couldn't.

From what I know is that the Tsivets wear like mako suits otherwise they die? Also they all have real weird powers like Nero (Rip Sonon in that Remake Dlc) and Weiss. Also Shulke can like dive into the internet? I dunno that game was not for me. Please tell me if any of the Tsivets have abilities that are actually comparable to other characters with Jenova's Cells because I wouldn't know.

Okay now onto S Cells woo!

So Sephiroth, probably most of SOLDIER, Sephiroth Clones, and Cloud all have S Cells. And they function pretty differently than G Cells.

For example, Sephiroth can't actually make Sephiroth copies like Genesis or Angeal. Sephiroth cannot physically change any of the people with his Cells like Angeal or Genesis either.

But S Cells are considered superior for many reasons.

Sephiroth can create hallucinations and illusions to change the copies or pieces of Jenova to look like him when needed. Also he never degraded himself.

SOLDIERS and Sephiroth Clones can but that degradation is different for S Cells. Instead of turning white and slowly dying, they become puppets that only try to go and enact Reunion.

The Reunion Theory (Hojo created it) was that if separated, Jenova would come back together, a Reunion.

Sephiroth pre-Nibeheim incident was the most powerful guy but he was pretty human (cat eyes and silver hair not included).

Then things go wrong.

Sephiroth freaking snaps due to Jenova, false information, and other existentialist crisis stuff.

Also here I should address a question. How sentient is Jenova? Is she a mind beyond human comprehension? Or is she much more animalistic and just works off of instinct? Did she intentionally help Sephiroth go crazy or was it just Reunion?

Like her backstory, we don't know. But regardless, it was confirmed that in FF7 it is Sephiroth in control because of how strong his will is. He's insane and mind broken, but he's the brains of the operation for all that happens in FF7.

Sephiroth in FF7 is able to puppet and command the Sephiroth clones, do crazy stuff like flying or going through floors, use illusions, and use Jenova's body to create crazy boss fights. Also at the end he's able to transform himself into a crazy monster form for the final boss fight for the party.

Cloud also is able to like astralproject himself to have a solo final fight with Sephiroth. I don't know what Cloud's potential is with using the S Cells to his advantage but I doubt he would able to use as well as Sephiroth. Cloud did accidentally use the S Cells to get the memories of Zack and Tifa's memories of Cloud though so... that's interesting.

Anyways jump to AC. Kadaj, Loz and Kazoo- I mean Yazoo are remnants of Sephiroth. They aren't actually made of S Cells, but Sephiroth will and power. Once Kadaj gets Jenova's head Sephiroth is able to possess him because he finally has Jenova's Cells. Meanwhile Geostigma is also caused by Sephiroth and Jenova in the lifestream. This is also the first time Sephiroth gets a wing like Genesis and Angeal. His black right wing s iconic afterall.

Okay now it's Remake time.

Sephiroth time travelled woo! Don't ask me how that works with worlds and such. I don't care if we get an hour of exposition in Part 3 as long as it helps me understand what that's all about properly.

However I can talk about how Sephiroth's powers are a bit different thus time around.

Like how in the OG he did illusions, but he couldn't make Cloud hallucination himself as everyone can't see it. I remember in AC Cloud would kinda have a mini hallucination of past memories in that one scene of him clutching his infected arm in pain with the cool Sephiroth cat eyes for a moment (and that is referenced in Remake) but that's all that comes to mind. Just with Sephiroth at least. Cloud had like multiple hallucinations with Aerith and Zack.

New ability two is that Sephiroth Clones can now fuse with monsters. Monsters would have Jenova Cells now that I think about it so... cool.

I do find it funny that Sephiroth took the wing and now the monster thing from Genesis and Angeal lol.

Again, how Sephiroth is able to jump worlds and such is not something I can quite understand yet. I honestly think that's more a Lifestream and Whispers thing than a Jenova thing. Like it's Sephiroth will power (think of the Remnants for example) that gives him that power and not Sephiroth going around injecting whispers of fate with S Cells or something.

Um...

That's all I can think of for now.

Damn, trying to comprehend the biology of a cosmic horror is tough.

[dark-elf-writes]

Hojo half-sibling au but cloud already been fucking gen before seph know he have a brother. Just for the lol.

It all started so simply — which, looking back at it, should have been Cloud’s first and largest red flag. Nothing in his life was ever anything other than complicated. He was “that Strife boy”, Nibelheim’s town bastard, almost an entire town’s dirty little secret.

(Not his mom’s though. Never his mom’s. She would always press a kiss to his crown of spikes that was so much like her own and tell him that he was her wonder. A gift from the gods themselves.)

But it all started so simply…

It started with a mandatory paternity test as a part of joining the SOLDIER program.

Getting to SOLDIER hadn’t been so simple. That had begun with an unlikely friendship between Zack Fair and some poor trooper with unfortunate amounts of motion sickness. Zack, upon hearing about Cloud’s dream to be in the program and his numerous failures at doing so, had thrown himself into helping Cloud train for the next exam.

“That’s what friends do, spikey!”

Hand to hand, sword work, physical conditioning, even materia… or, well, Zack had tried to teach Cloud Materia to… some success which had in turn led to the second complication.

Genesis had stumbled upon their training one day just in time to see Cloud blast Zack back with a spell that shouldn’t be able to do that yet again and had all but claimed Cloud as his own.

“Artificial materia has a different concentration of mako, dearest,” He had said, running the back of gloved fingers over Cloud’s cheek. “And your exposure to mako from living in a place so dense with it has changed you too. Try this instead.” He had slotted a new orb of materia, naturally formed and from his own collection no less, into Cloud’s borrowed bracer like he was sealing a wedding vow.

(And knowing Genesis as well as he did now, that was probably not far off the mark. The dramatic bastard had claimed to have fallen in love from the moment he first saw Cloud “knock the puppy on his ass even with those terribly mis matched materia”, and Genesis Rhapsodos was nothing if not determined when it came to getting what he wanted.

Still, Cloud couldn’t deny that it was nice to be wanted for once… just like he couldn’t deny that Genesis was a skilled teacher both on the mats and in his bedroom where he had Cloud seeing the goddess herself when he did that thing with his fingers.)

But a paternity test made sense, in a way. Cloud had said he never knew his father, and since he was now officially a SOLDIER third, he would start getting attention. Considering how much he looked like his mother, it wouldn’t be a leap to assume people might start coming out of the woodwork to make claims, and such a scandal would look bad for Shinra in the long run. It… probably also didn’t help that Cloud looked enough like Rufus and Lazard that rumors had already begun to spread of another Shirna bastard.

But the results had not been the simple answer.

Nor had they been the slightly more complicated one that, while annoying, would have made a strange sort of sense considering how he looked and proximity to the Shinra manor.

No, Cloud’s results were so complicated that the poor tech that had been running the tests had so so three times to be sure.

And then Cloud was angry. Angry that his mother had been left alone with no money to support her. Angry he had grown up hated by an entire village because some bastard couldn’t be bothered to stick around. Angry that the truth had been under his nose the whole time and he had never seen it.

He had snatched the results from the poor tech and stomped his way to the private lab in the center of the Science Department hardly noting the flustered scientists and techs trying to stop him through the red haze in his mind. The locked door didn’t stand a chance against the mastered fire materia Genesis had gifted him for making it through his training, melting straight through the lock so Cloud could kick the door inwards.

He didn’t notice the second person in the room as he hurled the file of results at a rather unimpressed face. Didn’t care.

“Nice to meet you, dad,” Cloud all but spit between clenched teeth.

Hojo didn’t do much as blink. If anything he shrugged. “Ah. The control group.”

Cloud didn’t remember trashing the lab. Didn’t remember the too familiar face at his side that helped him do it. He did however remember the aftermath with his head in his hands and the Silver General himself awkwardly patting his back as he had a complete mental breakdown.

“It’s what brothers are supposed to do… isn’t it?” Sephiroth had said like to made all the sense in the world. Like any of this made fucking sense.

Cloud Strife had gone from no father to one that saw him as an experiment in all of twenty minutes and now his childhood idol who was actually his half brother was trying to comfort him. It was too much. He needed a drink. He needed a fucking cigarette. He needed —

“Genesis,” He murmured, all but scrambling for his PHS to send off a message. If anyone could make it all make sense it was Gen, or at least, Gen would stand beside him as he burned the world to the ground. Either way, all Cloud wanted at that moment was something that made sense.

Unfortunately, that single word had made Sephiroth recognize exactly who Cloud was other than “some new recruit” or perhaps “Zack’s friend” and his green eyes narrowed as this hands that had been awkwardly patting him tightened possessively.

“You’re the trooper that is dating Genesis.” It wasn’t a question. Sephiroth didn’t wait for an answer. “Genesis slept with my brother.”

And then Cloud Strife’s life became very complicated all at once.

[goddessofroyalty]

A sane!Sephiroth is a mostly hands-off, awkward parent, but one you can be chill with. A crazy pants Sephiroth is almost certainly much more attentive, but in a way that really gives off bad vibes. Of course, Cloud wouldn't willingly have multiple sets of kids with a crazy Sephiroth, but the operative word here is "willingly" I'm afraid. Like to the point where the kids, who are mostly pretty good people despite what a clusterfuck their home life is, all agree on something: Sephiroth bad. Either because they see how much Cloud hates and fears him when he's not under control or they're the triplets and see Sephiroth as enemies for Cloud's attention.

So the fun thing about sane!Sephiroth as at his worst he could still be a really shit father. Like the ultimate 'traditional patriarch' stereotype where he has no/little interest in interacting with his kids until they are well into their teen years and even then kind of treats them like his subordinates in the army. At his best he is so very awkward because he really doesn't have a great model of good fatherhood in his life but he understands the basics. But unless his kids have interests that line up with his own he's reading so many books on the topic and trying (although on a bittersweet note I think the ones he understands the easiest are actually the true Academics because that's what he is at heart he was just groomed into being the Perfect Weapon for Shinra).

An evil!Sephiroth, is, yes you're right a lot more more... attentive, but in a very possessive way. Like his children get to have a very similar experience to Cloud in a lot of ways - Sephiroth as a voice in their head demanding they fall in line with his plans and also always watching over them to make sure they're 'safe' through violently annalating anyone who dares to think of harming them.

And, of yeah, an evil!Sephiroth does not care about Cloud being willing to have his children. Although of course with him there is the distinction between him getting what he wants through force and him using those moments where he can overpower Cloud's will to make him somewhat "willing". Which I do feel like the second is more likely/common just because Sephiroth tends to struggle at keeping Cloud under his thumb for long periods of time (and also preventing Cloud from killing him) and if it's the first option as soon as Cloud's managed to get away from him (and probably kill him... again) he's getting his hands on whatever the equivalent of the Morning After Pill is. But if Sephiroth is using his influence, well, he can keep those memories from Cloud until the pregnancy is far enough along that Cloud and all his medical-trauma-triggers is kind of out of options.

Although, if you start early enough in the canon timeline there's always the whole "and then Cloud fell into the hands of certain scientists who are very interested in what might result from what Sephiroth did to Cloud between turning evil and being killed (by Cloud)" to prevent him from preventing the pregnancy (although would Hojo have kept the triplets at Shinra Manor or taken them back to Midgar if they were born in that 5 year period? And is Vincent still just snoozing in his coffin as three mini-Sephiroths are running around and the scientists eyeing off their carrier with thoughts of making more).

All the kids are verying degrees of anti-Sephiroth and for different reasons. A lot is to do with Cloud's own feelings around Sephiroth and passing them on (as well as the people around Cloud's opinions about Sephiroth) but I also think nearly all the kids have probably had an experience with Sephiroth that really cemented it in their head that for he says he is fond of them because they are his children he only actually only sees them as extensions of himself / his will. That he only sees them things to be used to further his goals and doesn't care about them as individuals or the things they care about.

[bardic-tales]

Hello, my lovely followers, moots, and that one person who consumes my content ravenously. I bring to you a tasty offering of updates with Bianca Moore and the FWC that has changed with Rebirth. Some of these I already had the groundwork for, but I developed them further: such as the string of fate and the scar.

Sephiroth's motives:

His motives remains the same as he stated in Advent Children rewrite of Bia's character, but with a slight Rebirth twist to them. He wants to amass all sorts of power for the following reason: He wants to become like Jenova and ride the husk of Gaia together with her and Bianca by merging with the Planet's Lifestream, taking control of it and the Planet. He wants to go from planet to planet and dimension to dimension now doing the same thing, until they find a planet where he can remake it into a vision that suits Bianca, Jenova, and himself. To do this, he wants to make sure that he succeeds this time around and, as I said, gather as much power as possible.

Also, after this, he wants to destroy Asmodeus, the Celestial Realm, and the Abyssal Realm for what they did to Bianca on Earth. She basically has an obsessive god-like boyfriend or mate who is hell-bent on protecting her, even if it means going scorched earth.

Likes / Hobbies / Unique Quirks

Likes: ancient artifacts, beautiful fabrics (silk), black bribing others, cosmic phenomena (stars, nebulae, and rifts), deep conversations, dramatic fashion, flight, forbidden books, memories of her past loves, mysterious ruins, preening her wings, romantic gestures, Sephiroth, Sephiroth’s feathers, Sephiroth’s voice, solitude, swordplay, winter

Hobbies: analyzing battle strategies, astronomical observation, bribing people, collecting ancient relics, customizing her swords with trinkets, dueling, enhancing her beauty routine, exploring ruins, experimenting with new spells, flying at night, grooming her wings (with Sephiroth), hoarding Sephiroth’s feathers, improving her ability and skills, indulging in luxurious baths, manipulating dreams, meditation, preforming rituals, seeing to Sephiroth’s reforming body, preparing potions, shaping temporal spells, singing softly, sparring with Sephiroth (both find it thrilling and intimate), studying forbidden texts, and telepathic games (often teasing Sephiroth with silent thoughts)

Unique Quirks: A blood-red manicure (with sharp stiletto nails), bribes with food, indigo eyes with feline-like pupils reflecting Jenova’s influence, Changing body wash to match seasons, collecting Sephiroth’s feathers, dangerous smile to charm and disarm others, dual nature (celestial and demonic urges), emotionally dramatic displays, feline-like grace (swift and agile), habit of biting her lower lip (in plotting or thought), Hojo’s experiments have left a scar on her body that she will not heal until he is dead and her and Sephiroth’s destiny is fullfilled, laughs softly in battle (unnerves her opponents), listens to Sephiroth’s heartbeat, long, prehensile tongue, obsession with Sephiroth and always keeps something of his nearby, predatory, feminine walk, seductive aura (succubi nature), sharp fangs, sings lullabies to herself, staring into space (as she thinks about the Eternal Nexus, the dimension outside of space and time), telepathic bond with Sephiroth that allows them both to feel each other’s pain and emotions and hear each other’s thoughts, touches Sephiroth’s arms when they are close, whispered incantations (often heard in battle as she summons the cosmos to defend herself), indigo tipped wings as a result of her infusion with Jenova and S-cells

Personality:

Her personality oscillates between impulsive, dramatic reactions and manipulative behaviors, reflecting her struggles with histrionic tendencies. Despite her darker traits, she possesses moments of profound loyalty. Bianca’s journey involves navigating the complexities of her emotional world while grappling with her inner demons and enduring relationships, often leaving a trail of turmoil in her wake.

Red String of Fate:

The Red Thread of Fate is a visible and emotional bond connecting Bianca and Sephiroth, wrapping around their wrists in delicate heart-shaped patterns. It only shows up when they are close together. It glows in response to their emotions, intensifying when they experience strong feelings such as love, doubt, or fear. The thread allows them to feel each other’s pain, dulling the sensation for the injured and amplifying it for the other, while also enabling telepathic communication. Through this connection, they can sense each other's emotions and hear internal thoughts, creating an unspoken and deep understanding between them. The thread symbolizes their eternal link and influences their actions, emotions, and fates.

Surgical Scar

Bianca's surgical scar is a permanent reminder of the brutal vivisection she endured at the hands of Hojo and Diana Ravenscroft. The scar, a twisting purple mark starting at her right side and circling her belly button, represents her traumatic fall from Grace. Despite her demonic regeneration abilities, she consciously chooses to keep the scar as a symbol of her survival and the pain she experienced. The scar marks the procedure where her organs were manipulated, her body infused with Jenova and S-cells, and her blood was siphoned to slow down the degradation of the SOLDIERs while kept in Mako containment. It forever altered her physically and emotionally.

[fourthclone]

@backwaterheroics just asked me something that got the gears turning when it comes to roche . . . so i've established in the past that roche is very blood - knight adjacent , right ? what excites roche most of all is what is found in the thrill of a good fight . however , wanton destruction isn't really enough for roche , in fact , wanton destruction is just one of the many side - effects of his degradation .

let's look at the qualities roche exhibits as a rival - type character . well , we know that in remake , roche heals cloud with an elixir before their 1v1 . he's got an unhinged air of unease about him , yes , but he doesn't seek to kill cloud ; he just wishes to prove his own skills and his own mettle . this is made even more evident by roche's continuous efforts to let cloud escape ; sincerely wishing for his survival . i mean hey , he can't die ! when next they fight , he's going to be even stronger !

we also know that roche isn't a sore loser . roche loses with grace . you can tell that his losses disappoint him , but this is never anything he takes out on cloud . during every single battle with him , he concedes that he has lost , and consistently praises cloud for his skill . roche , as we can see , respects a strong fighter , and he's very quick to befriend them as a result . this is his language , after all : years of fighting have rendered this his default ; befriending others by playfully antagonizing them for a fight . his humanity , in essence , fades into this idea that he is a weapon , but the softer intents are still there .

so fights are bonding experiences for roche . this is how he seeks out cloud's friendship , and if it wasn't , he wouldn't be having as much fun as he does ( it's a game to him ! he's just playing ! ) , neither would he say things like 'maybe next time we can keep this just between the two of us !' in remake after their first battle . if the relationship were purely about competition or selfishness , i don't think roche would go through the lengths he does to recognize cloud as the victor .

back to more of roche's chivalric tendencies : he does not wish to get people involved who have nothing to do with his duel with his opponent . this is made evident when he invites cloud to a proper duel between the two of them in remake , and he detests other people interfering . he extends proper invitations for a duel first , and if he doesn't , he makes sure to make up for it in some way . like yeah bro , that was a good fight gg , now let me beat up these grunts in your way . he also stops cloud when he looks around at the grunts in rebirth after defeating roche and asks: ' anyone else ? ' because cloud still thinks this is an antagonistic thing ; he doesn't see it as a knightly duel , which is why roche is quick to say : ' come now ... this duel was ours alone . ' for roche , all duels have rules , so he deeply hesitates to pursue a fight with anyone who isn't SOLDIER unless they're more than up for the challenge . nevertheless , those fights aren't all that fun for him . he believes in fairness , where two warriors fight as equals and the only determining factor that differentiates both opponents is raw skill .

i do hesitate to ever headcanon that roche ever went to hojo for a special procedure with the explicit pursuit of power . this goes completely against roche's values as a knight ( again , this is what he thinks he is - and what he thought SOLDIER meant . he believed in SOLDIER honor very , very earnestly ) . he does not want power beyond what he had ; he wants his health back . he wants his speed and his spryness . he took great pride in being one of the fastest SOLDIER alive in his prime , and he was certainly a force to be reckoned with . what he believes is keeping him from ever meeting cloud as an equal is not his lack of special powers or enhancements , but because he's witnessing his own slow death , and to a weapon , as he weakens , this robs him of his purpose .

and that doesn't really matter if we switch words here and say that to a knight , this robs him of purpose , because either identity requires him to be able to fight . he's spent LITERALLY an entire decade and then some fighting for shinra , and he joined so young too and obtained so much meaning out of his identity as SOLDIER , you think degradation doesn't hit him like a ton of bricks ? and seeing these things and what he values , do we sincerely think that roche is above despair ?

he doesn't show it because when he loses , he doesn't want to make any of this about him . he wants to acknowledge cloud's courage , or leadership , or strength , or what-have-you . this is his friend , whom he admires ⸻ and part of being a knight is losing with grace and honor . but that doesn't mean his true face doesn't show outside of cloud's presence . we don't see it , so we'll never know ⸻ but the fact he ends up under hojo's knife tells me everything i need to know to infer that roche sincerely believed he could outrun his degradation ⸻ not for wanton power or mere adrenaline , but for friendship . and that is why what happens to him in rebirth is so tragic . i simply can't get behind the idea that he doesn't feel lonely . i definitely believe he is aware he does not ' fit in ' anywhere and he's just kind of . right back where he started w / his lonely childhood . he's got the admirers . he's got his haters . he's even in a position of leadership/some degree of power , at least toward his subordinates as captain of the mobile unit . but what does that matter when his heart is wanting ?

[altocat]

I have a question.

I think Genesis' parents were one of the best people in the game, they were rich people who decided to adopt a victim of child experimentation and falsified reports to shield Genesis from having ShinRa's interest, thus risking their lives. Also, Angeal said he didn't steal from them, not because he was afraid of them punishing them, but simply because he was a friend with their son. As far as I understand, all canon info about them is pointing to them being amazing people, though it's possible I missed something.

Why do you think people write/hc them as shitty people who deserve to die? What canon info says they're bad?

You often say Sephiroth is a horrible monster with absolutely no hope for redemption for killing people in Nibelheim, which is true.

Why do you think Genesis is a cute baby boy for killing everyone in Banora, including his parents, who earned his redemption with his virtuous acts? Were people in Banora all monsters?

Sorry if it's a weird question, but I keep wondering about it and curiosity got the best of me. Genesis and Sephiroth killed people when they were blind with their desire for revenge, but Sephiroth didn't kill his family. What makes it a redeeming act for Genesis?

It's very likely that Genesis' parents were fully aware of the experiments and were in on it the entire time. Genesis hints as much when he claims that they betrayed him, much in the way of how Shinra betrayed him. Additionally, they did not lie on behalf of their son WILLINGLY, only because Genesis threatened them. They probably would have readily given him up to Shinra, despite the fact that he's their son.

Add to this the very odd fact that Genesis keeps a collection of his childhood accomplishments OUTSIDE of his old home, as well as the fact that Hollander, Hojo, and Gillian were ALL in the know about the experiments, it's very, very likely that Genesis always felt disconnected from his parents and that they were very much in league with his abusers. If it happened with Angeal, then there's no way Genesis' parents didn't know. And I highly doubt they took him in out of the kindness of their hearts considering that he just enlisted in SOLDIER the second he came of age. Likely he was being groomed since childhood into joining Shinra's ranks.

I think that Genesis probably had a very good reason to be angry. And to feel betrayed by his parents. I'm sure there are plenty of people who can add extra details to this to polish up what I'm trying to say, but Genesis is just as much of a victim as both Angeal and Sephiroth. He was still being integrated into Shinra and there was no way they were ever going to let one of the top specimens of Project G live a normal life. Angeal's family was not rich because Gillian refused to let Shinra/Hollander compensate them. Who's to say that Genesis' parents weren't rich partially because they were high status allies to Shinra? Why else are they in Shinra's contact list?

And another thing to note:

When Genesis kills his parents (offscreen), he is suffering from the effects of the Degradation Process. He is literally performing an act as a result of mind-altering internal decay and possible brain damage. I'm not doing to pretend that killing one's parents is a cool and okay thing to do, but this is a scenario in which an effectively dying man being ravaged by sickness is killing his parents out of the perceived likelihood that they were in league with the people who did this to him. And probably had more than enough reasons to confirm that his suspicions were true.

Compare to Sephiroth, who killed other people's parents, who were completely innocent and had nothing at all to do with what Shinra did to him.

[a-writers-blurbs]

TROPE-TASTIC

So I'm trying something I saw on rumble. Basically, I'm making a list of the prompts I'm using for this story challenge.

Problem is... I need 30 prompts I can work with... I've only found 19.

Anyway...

This is what I'm working on. I'd love to see others interpretations of these prompts, so feel free to use them in your own chapter or one shot stories!

If you do, please link them to keep so I can read/promote them! If you post them here, add the hash tag #AWBsesskag

Genre: Humor/Romance/Angst

Twist: Try to use as many tropes as possible

Universe: Canon

Fandom: Inuyasha

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome

Rating: M

Description:

A few weeks have passed since Sesshomaru & his group joined the Inutachi. No one knew why Sesshomaru started following them around. Nor did they understand him seeming obsession with their naieve miko.

Prompts!

(In no particular order)

Hot Spring: Much to her mortification, kagome winds up accidentally giving the males of her group a peep show.

Swordplay: Inuyasha & Sesshomaru argue over who's "sword" is bigger & who "swings" it better.

Plum Sake: Poor Sesshomaru is at a loss when drunk Kagome comes out to play

Fairytale: Kagome wakes up from a yokai induced sleep to a kiss from Sesshomaru while the kids cheer about her bedtime stories

Sleep: Sesshomaru watches kagome sleep, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Inuyasha watches him, jealousy building with every second that passes.

Instinct: Sesshomaru protects Shippo, Sango, & Miroku in Kagomes absence

False Claim: When Kogas antics go to far, Sesshomaru steps in to set things straight once & for all.

Liar: After an argument, Inuyasha leaves to be with kikyo for the night. Leaving Sesshomaru behind to pick up the pieces of a broken miko.

Acts of Honor: Sesshomaru captures Kohaku during battle, but instead of leaving him for dead, he returns him to Sango as the brother she remembers... not Narakus puppet.

Dishonorable: Sesshomaru scolds Miroku for his unfaithful & lecherous ways, much to the Monks embarrassment.

Festoval: Sesshomaru takes pride in spoiling the pack at a yokai celebration in honor of the balance between earths power, humans, & yokai.

Stormy Eyes: Injured, but furious... Kagome not only scolds but challenges Sesshomarus mother to a dual.

Healing: When Kagome is Injured, Sesshoumaru protects & cares for her in a way only a inu should care fot their mate, causing confusing feelings for Kagome.

Revelations: Sesshomaru opens up about his upbringing. Not realizing what he's describing is manipulation & abuse. His is when kagome decides her feelings for Sesshomaru are stronger than friendship.

Shame: Sesshomaru & his mother argue over his feelings over lagome, not realizing she overhears his lack of denial when his mother accuses him of being as shameful as his father for loving a human.

Enough: After finding Sesshomaru comforting her... Inuyasha goes too far with his insults towards kagome, resulting in an all out brawl.

Penis: Anyone who wants to visit the future kagome comes from,needs to be subjugated. Kagome decides on a word she would NEVER say to the kids.

Whore: Word around Tokys is that Higurashi Kagome is an unwed, teen mother whos getting kicked out of middle school for lying about being suck to chase a gangster two timer, only to turn around & switch to his brother. Her families reputation is in ruin.

Chickens: Sesshoumaru is HIGHLY unimpressed with Kagomes friends & the boy Hojo who couldn't take no for an answer.

Submitted by @anastasiaskarsgard

Control: Kagomes power has been compromised & she can no longer control it. When her reki violently lashes out during a disagreement, she fears she's hurt Sesshomaru

Collections: Poor Jaken. Once a leader in his own right, he abandoned his people to serve the most feared yokai in Nippon. For years, things had been wonderful. But recently, his master had taken up an odd hobby. Jacken just couldn't fathom why his master kept collecting human females!

Rawr: Ah-Un are in charge of watching over the children. All seems well & the large dragon is able to eat their grass in peace. But serenity never lasts & if Ah-Un wants to get back to their lunch, they'll need to teach the yokai attempting to sneak up on the camp a lesson.

I still need 8 more prompts (minimum to hit 30. The max is 45 chapters) I figure I should add some battle scenes somewhere, lol. If you have any Prompt ideas... especially funny ones... PLEASE comment them below. 💜

[foreststarflaime]

[more from the dragons au: evil Shinra board edition]

President Shinra: There was once a minor nobleman, displeased with his status and driven by greed, whose ambition would stop at nothing in his quest to rise in the ranks of his kingdom. It started with mere whispers in the right ears, subtle advances of his political power, entirely fair game for the nobility. But it was going too slowly, and he was all too aware of his advancing age. It wasn’t enough, he needed to rise to the top faster and he needed to live for longer. And so he looked for ways to stretch the rules of the game, to cut corners, and he found them—in dangerous allies, those who were just as willing to do anything to be the ones making the rules as him. They collected their power, and with it they overthrew the king, and Shinra’s rule of the empire began. But he was hardly satisfied—there were still other kingdoms outside of his reach, still more land to be controlled, still more gold to hoard. It was then that he began to…change. His fingers began to lengthen, long and sharp, the better to dig his claws into what was his and keep it. His eyes began to shift, moving further apart to give him better range of vision, to be better able to see any traitors sneaking around behind his back. Long spines began to grow from his back, physical forms of the knives he was sure were being aimed there by those who professed loyalty to him. His nose lengthened and grew into a long snout, ever pouring smoke but no fire, the better to sniff out any treasonous plots to steal what he had rightfully earned (no fire, because there were no plots to be found, originally). Now there is a sulking and hideous wyrm, hunched possessively over a great pile of gold in the ruins of a castle. His empire still lives, thanks to the efforts of those who originally helped him rise to power and whom he has not yet thrown out.

Hojo: There is a necromancer, a mad scientist of magic, whose focus—or more accurately, near-religious obsession—is with how much he can change the nature of something dead and still be able to return some semblance of life to it. He helped Shinra’s rise to power, mainly because it was bloody and offered him plenty of new material to work with. His work had been stagnating, and Shinra was growing restless with his lack of results—but that was when he saw him. A dragon, made of stardust, falling from the sky. When he reached the crater, the beast was still, eyes closed and unbreathing. He was excited to have something strange to work with—but that was when things got even better. The beast was still alive. It opened its eyes, still not breathing, and began to examine its surroundings. What undead masterpiece was this? Oh, the things he could discover if he got his hands on this specimen—perhaps, he could even crack the code to immortality, eternal undeath, like Shinra was constantly hounding him about. He must have it.

Scarlet: There was a noblewoman in the same kingdom as Shinra, a little higher in status, who was obsessed with beauty. But her idea of beauty was…a bit different than most people’s. How could it not be, when she was born already at the highest standard of human beauty, and yet still craved something more? She was lost for a long time, until finally she found what she was searching for, when an inventor from a neighboring kingdom was making the rounds at their king’s court. He had wonderful machines, the likes of which she’d never seen—machines that moved on their own, machines that could rip faraway things apart with the mere pull of a lever. There was an accident, and someone was shot that shouldn’t have been. She found the beauty she was searching for in that cold gleaming metal and the scarlet blood that it painted the walls with. She freed the inventor from the dungeon, and he taught her everything he knew. She made sure he would breathe no word of it to anyone else. This beauty was hers, now. She joined with Shinra to leech from his treasury to fund more pursuits into improving this beauty. Slowly, she began to make herself beautiful, too—a special high-tech eye that let her see more than a human eye could here (she only needed to pluck out her own to install it, she wasn’t losing anything important), an extra set of limbs protruding from her back there (no matter that she accidentally paralyzed her own legs in the process of attaching them, she could simply make more). Now there is an inventor in Shinra’s court, who is something not quite human.

Heidegger: There was a head of the guard in Shinra’s old manor, just as ambitious as his lord. He served him well and followed his ascent to power. Soon he progressed in ranks, and now there is a general, haughty and proud, sitting at the right claw of a hideous dragon. He would turn on him in an instant if he got the chance.

[timelessxmemories]

ᎡᏆՏᎬՏ ͲᎻᎬ ᎷϴϴΝ..

╰☆☆ A Bᴀᴄᴋɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ Sʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ ;; Sᴛᴀʀʟɪɢʜᴛ. ☆☆╮

🇹 🇦 🇬 🇸 ;; @miss-midnightt , @the-main-characters , @gmanwhore , @ghostlyplacetobe , @ren-not-rennie , @ihugmomo

Growing up, Starlight never really ever had any family to begin with. She was alone for most of her entire childhood and teenage years, she oftentimes felt very pressured to achieve higher expectations than most as well as being the 'savior' of sorts for those around her due to her being an angel. She never actually fully understood why she was always the one people came to for guidance and advice, she was just like them, right? A normal person trying to live their life? False.

She was always so so much more than just some average human being. She was a goddess, the one who was to protect and to serve everyone as they so desire. But because she was only a child at the time, this was a lot of stress for a girl to take on, which led into her running away, because running away from your problems is a frequent occurrence in this family for some reason.

So she ran away at the age of 14, she ended up living in the woods for the rest of her teenage years because, hey, no one around = no issues, right? Yeah, well, unfortunately for her at the time, she was becoming increasingly anti-social and constantly going hungry and becoming dehydrated due to living out in the woods for all those years and not really knowing how to fend for herself. See, she wasn't exactly the smartest, she ran away out of impulse and didn't want to go back there because she's stubborn and fully believes she's capable of managing herself with absolutely no help! Boy, was she wrong.

During her time alone, isolated and probably starving in the woods, she ended up finding out that oh shit, celestial magic is a thing while she was pretending to use magic that she thought she didn't have (as one does) and it turned out she did in fact have magic! Wow! Who woulda known?? Regardless, she found out she had Celestial magic, and at the time, she had no clue what her magic was called so she gave it the name of: 'super cool glittery magic that's super cool.'

Continuing on, she continued to practice her magic until she was fairly decent at it, which was up until the age of 21, and that's when the bastard(affectionate) came into the picture! A young man by the name of Simon Hojo was a bit lost in the woods because for some reason he thought it would be a brilliant idea to wander off into the woods without any sort of map whatsoever away from campus! (Again, as one does) And that's when he stumbled across a secluded area in the woods while trying not to freak out because where the actual living fuck was he??? And because Starlight hasn't seen another living being other than the insects and animals around the woods, she instantly uses her magic on him, knocking him back into a tree, and Hojo just stares at her in awe because wowie, pretty angel woman who can and will murder you?? Yes, please! Keep in mind he probably has a fractured shoulder because of this. Thanks, Starlight!

This results in Starlight flying up high using her wings and attempting to hide in a tree away from the man who is for some reason here. Hojo on the other hand, stands up, groaning in pain because owie, shoulder is injured, but instead of getting mad or doing something about his shoulder, all he can really do is just, stare at Starlight in utter disbelief because woah???

Starlight soon realizes that Hojo isn't leaving anytime soon, so she gives a long ass sigh and finally comes down from the tree, looking at him with suspicion, Hojo introduces himself as Simon Hojo, a university student majoring in sciences and what-not, and then Starlight introduced herself as, well, Starlight your local forest dweller which got a laugh out of the young man, but he quickly stopped laughing as he realized that, oh, she's serious.

So, Hojo being Hojo, decides its a great time to bombard her with dozens of questions which he does! And Starlight answers literally none of them. Why? Because why would she tell someone she just met everything about her, that's weird. Hojo reluctantly accepts this and offers her some food, Starlight takes it without hesitation and fucking inhales it, which results in Hojo staring at her in even more disbelief.

A few years pass by and Hojo won't leave her alone. Girl just wants to be alone but man ain't taking a hint. Anyways, Hojo's still around, pestering this poor woman, however, Starlight is slowly growing more and more fond of this man despite how absolutely annoying and difficult he can be for her. The two begin to get to know each other way more than they have in the beginning.

Hojo then pulls a disappearing act for 2 years straight and now Starlight's sad because where friend?? And then he shows back up! But he looks a little older and a bit different now, his hair is still short, and he's still wearing his rectangle framed glasses, but he's also wearing neater clothing like a button up and for some reason a lab coat, Starlight upon seeing him doesn't exactly recognize him but once she does she tackles him, which ends up in Hojo breaking his glasses.

Anywho, the two are finally reunited, yay! This is where things start to get a little messy, if they aren't already. Hojo seems to be a little more on edge than 2 years prior, he's far more paranoid and uneasy, as if he's half expecting something or someone to appear. Starlight notices this right away and asks him whats the matter, Hojo replies with his concern that something will happen to her if he continues to visit her due to the others having their suspicions. Starlight asks who the others are and Hojo explains that they are other scientists and researchers. Starlight then asks him why he's so concerned for her safety and he explains that it's because she's an angel and he might be forced to run tests on her and such, this sets Starlight off and causes her to back away in fear, Hojo quickly stops her after he hears a pair of footsteps from in the trees and he turns around, and there stands Hollander with this shit-eating grin plastered onto his face.

A year passes by and now Starlight is being kept in the underground facility unit in Shinra thanks to Hollander. Hojo is trying his hardest to keep her safe and make sure she's, y'know, alive?? During that time however, Hojo soon ends up realizing that oh shit, he's fallen in love with this woman??? And then he pieces it together and he realizes that that's the reason why he feels so oddly protective over her.

Hojo being Hojo, decides to tell her right away, Starlight, utterly confused at the sudden revelation asks for some time before giving her answer, he gives her that time and she soon realizes that fuck, the feeling is mutual. Cool. The two are now in a relationship.

A few months pass by and Starlight is finally aloud to wander the lab, but she adjusts fairly quickly to her surroundings despite them being so odd. This is when things get serious. Not for us! For them you dumbass! Anyways! Hojo proposes, what?? Starlight accepts, what???

Skipping ahead two years, they're now married and Lock is brought into the world, their little girl, the baby, literally. Hojo is very happy that he has a baby girl now by the way, he's genuinely like, actually happy. He treats his baby girl like a damn princess, Starlight finds it very endearing.

When Lock turns 1, Hojo and Starlight are very delighted because funnily enough, on her first birthday, that's when Lock finally said her first word, which turned out to be: pickle. Because at the time, Starlight had a pickle in her hand and was trying to bribe Lock to walk over to her with it because little baby Lock was super fascinated with the pickle for absolutely no reason other than oooh funny colour. When she said her first word, Hojo had to do a double take and ask her to say it again which she did, very very happily, Hojo was kind of disappointed because he wanted her first word to be dad, Starlight only laughed and embraced it.

And then the end of the line finally came for Starlight the day after Lock's 3rd birthday, she was going to be put through more tests, but this time they weren't secure, she was afraid she wasn't going to survive and she couldn't bare the thought of leaving her child and husband behind, so she did what she had to do, run and, well, leave her husband and child behind, contradicting I know, but she knew she wasn't going to make it out so she left Lock in Hojo's hands, and when Starlight finally escaped the lab, she was surrounded by Shinra officers and Hollander standing in front of her with a gun in hand, she knew this was how it was going to end. Hojo tried to stop Hollander, but in the end, it wasn't of any use. Starlight was now dead, and Lock was now without a mother and Hojo without a wife.

It was the end of a legacy. Starlight left behind so many wonderful things in the end, she didnt die in vain, she died protecting and serving her family to the best of her abilities. And in the end, the moon still rises.

[felixcloud6288]

Higurashi: Massacre Chapter 9

I'm going to give a quick breakdown of the timeline of events so far.

Teppei Hojo returned to Hinamizawa on Sunday, June 12th and took Satoko into custody. On Monday June 13th, Chie and Kaieda called the Child Consultation Center about the situation. On Tuesday June 14th, Keiichi and his friends went to the center to appeal the decision.

It is now Wednesday June 15th.

Keiichi truly is a wordsmith and he knows how to bring people together. All his classmates understood there was something wrong with Satoko's situation but none of them knew what to do.

Keiichi managed to force them all to see their shared concern and direct it toward a potential path to overcome. The most brilliant part of it was Keiichi asking them to watch his back.

One of the issues that comes with being social creatures is bystander syndrome. Even though everyone can see there's a problem, we instinctively look to others to see how to handle it. And when no one is sure how to handle a problem, everyone kind of gets stuck being unable to do anything.

But once someone is able to begin a movement, people can rally around it. And Keiichi offered the kids a means to fight and they're joining whole-heartedly.

And it's a small thing, but I want to point out Tomita and Okamura's part in this scene. They were simply responding to what Keiichi and Mion had to say and were agreeing with their arguments, but that actually went a long way to getting the whole class to join in. It's another aspect of breaking bystander syndrome. Once someone in the group began to act, it became much easier for the rest to join.

Ever since they first went to the Center last chapter, Keiichi has been the perspective character. In an arc focused on Rika's doubts and worries, we haven't been privy to them ever since she placed her trust in Keiichi.

Her internal thoughts always showed a disconnect between what is happening now and the greater scope of the story. This world was just a temporary stop before she'd go to the next one, so she kept no attachment to anything. I'd say that us not knowing her thoughts is a sign that she's decided to commit to making this world the one where she lives. Her thoughts and actions are in agreement, and she's willing to take the initiative to stop her teacher from getting in the way.

I recounted the group multiple times and I keep seeing only 16 people there. But Keiichi said there were 17. There are two human-shaped blobs in the background so maybe they're part of the group. But then we'd have 18.

Maybe they forgot to include Shion in their count.

Like how their positions are consistent with the previous panel as well.

Not sure why Momoyama shadowed the eyes of that girl on the right. We saw her full face just a few pages ago.

Even though they still didn't get the result they wanted, the group was able to make significant progress this time around. Just starting off, they forced the Center to book a room for them.

The conference room is not a room they can set aside as easily as the consultation room from last chapter. Those chairs and tables are going to stay in that room because that room needs to be ready to use at any given moment by a number of parties. The bureaucracy of the Consultation Center is now working against itself because Harayama now needs to make sure this meeting is finished within a given amount of time so the room is available to the next party that needs to use it. In other words, he needs to genuinely listen and take their words into consideration so things can be resolved as fast as possible.

And during the meeting, Harayama was forced to be on the defensive the entire time. He was the one who had to justify everything to them. And when Harayama tried to conclude that there is nothing wrong and Teppei is a caring guardian, Rena came in and forced him to change his conclusion to "We're still investigating".

I haven't seen Rena this furious since Curse Killing Chapter 6, when she yelled at Keiichi for trying to force Mion to take Satoko into her care.

It brings a tear to my eye to see how the kids are not discouraged and are already discussing how to work together to protest a government body. They'll be throwing bricks at cops in no time.

Keiichi and Kameda already have rapport with each other so the baseball game from Curse Killing Chapter 5 is canon to this timeline. That took place the day before Teppei returned. I'd guess that Keiichi's chat with Irie happened, but any discussions about Satoshi may not have occurred or ended very differently. I can't find any hints Keiichi knows who Satoshi is outside of vague details like knowing he's Satoko's brother.

Regardless, this would mean Keiichi made a similar promise to protect Satoko and he very likely could have ended up repeating the Curse Killing scenario alongside Shion if he hadn't spoken to his dad about it.

And look at Kameda finally accepting himself and enjoying a cute ice cream dessert.

There are hints in Curse Killing Chapter 4 suggesting Mion's scheme to go on a date with Keiichi in Cotton Drifting also happened then, so by the transitive property, some aspect of that story is likely canon here as well. The events at the dessert festival are at least canon and they happened on a Thursday. (I had a lengthy explanation proving it but decided to remove it. I'm gonna make a timeline analysis when I finish the series and will show it then).

I'm saying all this just to point out that the Otaku creeps have already been punished for their behavior in this timeline.

Keiichi was probably planning to ask the festival committee to join as well, but didn't get to it. And Ooishi might have been at the meeting to go over security detail.

back

[wxndswept]

Thinking more about the post about villains Boomer made, the only truly evil ones I can think about, the ones that have done fucked up things and have no remorse or underlying reason for it, or just have a wildly different set of ideals compared to the rest if the world, are Zouken from Fate Stay Night, Hojo from Final Fantasy 7 and possibly the Doctor from Genshin. I might be wrong about Zouken but still. They are the type that just see the world and its inhabitants as a big ass lab and as long as they get their results it literally doesn't matter what happens to get there, which is interesting compared to others. I'm not saying these games shouldn't have irredeemable or truly fucked up people like this but I do get why they're not as popular and why companies steer more toward broken and damaged ones like Scara or Kama, or "fucked up ones with a heart"like Tart and Arle

But at the same time, guess who my least favorite genshin and fate characters are.

Oh and Grima from Fire Emblem Awakening I think(but I like them)