#which he did but sephiroth also doing so makes it all so much funnier to him

[dark-elf-writes]

You are so right Bestie. The silver elite fan club would absolutely be crazy enough to accidentally elevate Sephiroth into godhood. All the fan clubs really.

I like to imagine he’d be embarrassed as a mother fucker once he becomes an actual god though. Like an adult looking back on their childhood percy jackson phase where they fully believed their godly parent would come to whisk they away to camp half blood.

I personally think Genesis wouldn’t let him live it down for a second.

Seph being raised into godhood because of the Silver Elite and Cloud being raised into godhood for killing Sephiroth is the exact kind of messy drama a deity au needs.

Genesis is loudly sipping his apple juice while he watches the chaos unfold.

[sephirthoughts]

Maybe Reeve and 15, 26, 34 for the ask game? ^^' (15 is a free option. You don't have to do it, if yiu don't want to. ^^'')

Yayyy Reeve!!! i do have several opinions about him

Reeve pretty much 24/7:

same bro same

-15- pets or feelings about animals:

HE DID NOT CHOOSE THE HAMSTERVERSE, THE HAMSTERVERSE CHOSE HIM

-26- interactions with their friends

I don't know Reeve to have any canonical friends aside from Veld (Verdot), before Dirge, and I don't know much about their friendship, but I assume Veld was a hero of his or something because Veld is old as shit, and Reeve is only 35 during FF7. He was willing to risk his ass to help save Elfe, because she's his friend's daughter, even though she's with Avalanche. Yes, he uses his Cait Sith bots to go in his place, but even getting involved that much is a massive risk for him considering he's on the Shinra Board of fucking Directors. This suggests how highly he values friendships and demonstrates his personal integrity.

Reeve actually gets involved in a staggering number of situations considering he's a literal executive at the biggest company in the world, like…Reeve my guy when do you sleep buddy? (Also how did you make it to the top of Shinra with your conscience intact??)

I really wanted Reeve to have seen Vincent's file or some of his reports back in the day, like as a young Shinra employee, and been like "holy shit this Turk is amazing in a totally not gay way i am just going to take a copy of his photo for personnel management purposes thank you Veld." ALAS, Reeve was five years old when Vincent died. So no such luck unless he was Shinra's youngest employee ever aside from Sephiroth (lol).

HOWEVER. We KNOW direct from the cat's mouth that Reeve knows all about Vincent, meaning he DID study his files at some point, and was clearly moved by how sexy he was tragic his story was. HERE THERE BE HEADCANONS: Vincent was a pretty impressive guy even before the monster powers, and I absolutely HC Reeve as being a total Vincent fangirl, which makes him scruffing and then throwing the Cait Sith bot at Cloud even funnier. He and Vincent become friends through the Cait Sith bot, during the events of FF7 but they have that falling out because of the Marlene thing. However, he keeps helping the group and whatnot, which earns their and Vincent's trust back, and then eventually reveals his identity to the whole group.

Between FF7 and Dirge, he and Vincent stay in contact and even wind up meeting in person. By "meeting in person" I mean Vincent vampire ninjas himself into Reeve's office and scares the ever-loving shit out of him, because he wanted to meet him face to face, and they have a nice talk, before Vincent vampire ninjas away again, leaving Reeve with an even bigger totally platonic and not at all gay crush on the very dangerous and very sexy vampire man.

Reeve eventually leaves Shinra and starts his good-guy club and all that, and he and Vincent reconnect during Dirge, where Reeve is doing this weird matryoshka doll thing with himself inside Cait Sith inside a suit of himself, but whatever i don't kink shame. Apparently Vincent finds that very cool (or hot if you ship them) because they spend the rest of the game helping each other (or secretly making out). Much like almost all of my ships, whether you ship Reeve and Vincent or not, my HC for their relationship is pretty much exactly the same, except in the ship version they fuck.

Anyway I HC that Reeve and Vincent are friends. That was a long thesis, just to work up to this one point.

ps. my ship name for reeve and vincent is reeventine because it's more prosodic (fancy talk for rolls off the tongue), and also, reevince just looks like re-evince, which is a word already

-34- feelings abut themself

This is important to how Reeve feel about himself i promise: CAIT SITH SPEAKS FUCKING KANSAI-BEN. I have no idea why they chose Scottish accent for the English version but they have inadvertently canonized Reeve's hometown dialect being either Kansai-ben, or Scots-gaelic. Which means that little Reeve had one HELL of an accent, and had to meticulously dialect-train himself, to speak in the accepted nonregional vernacular (Kanto or newscast English) for his Shinra job. HEADCANONS BEGIN: This suggests that he's self-aware enough to know what will help him get ahead, and is willing to do what it takes to succeed…but like, in a NORMAL way, not like the rest of the Shinra execs, who are all literal psychopaths. Not exaggerating. Actual psychopaths. He's a classic overachiever and apparently pretty charismatic, despite never having been listened to ever not even one single time during a Shinra board meeting. Luckily he's also a good person deep down and when it really counts, he does the right thing.

In conclusion, Reeve thinks highly enough of himself to have very strong drive and ambition, and to go against the flow and make conscience-based decisions, even when it puts him at risk, but not enough to disconnect the coffee I.V. and get a good night's sleep once in a while.

unpopular but correct opinion: reeve was hot even back when he was cosplaying some kind of pirate clergyman back in the Dirge of Cerberus days

Thanks for the ask! Hamsterverse forever!

[hikennosabo]

trimax vol 11 random thoughts

we're back to 6 chapters in this volume, huh!

i dont know if i'm ready for this, i still feel emotionally caught up in volume 10. but as always, i must press onward.

chapter 1:

CHAPEL JUMPSCARE?!?! WHY DOES THIS VOLUME OPEN WITH A SCENE OF CHAPEL. I THOUGHT WE WERE DONE WITH YOU!!!! GO AWAY!!!!

and we're back to legato!! yay!!! i feel like i haven't seen him in forever!! he's looking a little worse for wear...

HELPPPP HSDKLJFDKLSFJS SHE'S SO MEAN TO HIMMMM

"there's no reason why i shouldn't just kill you" SHE'S SO MEAN!!!!!

it's really such a funny dynamic and i agree that legato is very bullyable but where does this hostility come from, actually? does she view legato as a rival for knives's attention? does she just think he has rancid vibes? it seems kinda one-sided too, legato hasn't expressed the same degree of annoyance regarding elendira... or we haven't really seen what he thinks of her at all, iirc? he just kind of ignores her goading... which honestly makes this dynamic funnier LMAO

and now we cut to--wait, LIVIO CAN DRIVE?! ...actually, now that i think about it, he probably drove chapel around, right? chapel probably couldn't drive in the condition he was in...

WHAT'S WITH THE SWANKY-ASS CAR, THOUGH???

i am happy to see brad again. i am always happy to see brad

^ me when i see brad

vash is clearly so so so tired. he decided to trust livio because he trusts wolfwood who trusted livio, but he's also mad about it. he's still very raw and very angry with livio i think. and also just fed up with this conversation in general lol. he's low on patience.

"at least let me punch him," says brad, after he already did it! livio would take the punch either way, he thinks he deserves to get punched... (ourgh...) but if you're going to ask for permission, do it beforehand!

i've been physically holding myself back from making more ff7 comparisons than i have already, but this is not making it easy. also y'all are literally in a narrative i know this shit is NOT going to work.

knives using his sisters as a shield... again... well, maybe "using" isn't the right word in this case. i actually expected him to destroy the cannon, but his expression... he knew it wouldn't fire.

i'm wondering about the plants' will now... how much self-awareness do they have? is it like, collective? are they more of a hivemind compared to the independents? ummm... hmmm... uuuummmm... i still feel like i don't know enough about plants!!

also does this mean they could have refused to fuse with knives if they didn't want to? not like knives is a stranger to using force, but in the scene where he fused with that first plant, he did ask... ummm... gaahhhh... my soupy brain...

i don't remember who in stampede said non-independent plants don't have free will... but it's an assumption everyone in this world seems to have been operating on...

"it's possible that the plants could rebel against humans. if that's the case, then there's no way humanity could survive." <- yeah no kidding! so you gotta be niceys to them!

chapter 2:

i'm apprehensive about the earth humans arriving, they're gonna make this situation even more complicated...

YOU'D BEST START BELIEVING IN SCIENCE FICTION, NAMELESS RANDO, YOU'RE IN ONE

UUAAAGH MERYL AND MILLY :( one of them (i can't tell who's talking) mentions her family... ARE their families okay?? hmmm... if they were, they'd probably be in this city, right? so i guess not... or maybe the situation is just too chaotic to find them even if they are in the city.

we never learned that much about meryl and milly's families, but i liked what we did get. that bit all those chapters ago, which touched on meryl's feelings about her own family (jeez that was FOREVER ago?!)... i thought it gave an interesting dimension to her.

THE REUNION.. CAN I GET A HUG?? CAN I PLEEEAAAASE GET A HUG??

oh holy shit he is giving MAAAAJOR sephiroth vibes here and i love it. he is beautiful and terrifying. and he's losing his shape... a physical representation of him losing himself...

and the ark itself is giving... something... i don't really know what to make of this grotesque display. it's... a lot.

chapter 3:

actually, what are the earth humans planning on doing exactly. are they gonna gather everyone up and ferry them back to earth? provide resources and technology so they can continue living on noman's land? i mean obviously we have to deal with knives first but what about after that?

OH?! BRAD TO THE RESCUE?! UNEXPECTED BRAD & LIVIO FRIENDSHIP?!

girl me too.

of course she immediately picked up on what really happened, not like brad's lie was any good to begin with...

OH, CUTE!!! what's in vash's coat! a lil figurine... what else does he have. the communicator pen, a swiss army knife, a key, the coin case... and some miscellaneous things...

"to tell you the truth, it wasn't a priority of mine" about the coins... it wasn't a priority of the author either dw

BRAD LIVIO FRIENDSHIP CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE!!!! i love this, brad is trying so hard...!! he's so sweet... this is not a friendship i expected but i'm loving it so much!!!

:( vash crying over marlon's words to him is making me feel a type of way. it's something he needs to hear, but...!! "i don't know what else to do..." asking for help is easier said than done... he doesn't know how. i can relate...

and now we get... a big explosion and...!!!!

YES.... YES!!!!! LEGATO!!!!! MY SWEET (not an adjective that describes him in the slightest) LITTLE (also not an adjective that describes him) BAGWORM HAS FINALLY EMERGED FROM HIS COCOON!!!! i missed you so much honey i can't wait to see what fucked up shit you do next <3

oh also zazie's been cut in half. ehhh they'll be fine.

chapter 4:

oh fuck. this concept has been knocking around in my head for a while, and now it's been confirmed canon... it's never quiet for him anymore...

baby knives!!!!!! :(

someone: "you're nonbinary? but what's in your pants though?" zazie:

okay but jokes aside 1. GROSS!!!, 2. would this have even worked? legato and elendira recognize the danger so maybe it would have, 3. zazie says "we will use your powers for our purposes" which is... what? eliminating the humans, i suppose, and then... what?

huh... wait... is this how his powers worked all along or is this a new thing?? it's a new thing, right??

carve strings?? out of iron?? with what, his bare hands??? and he's moving by... puppeteering... himself?? that's... insane. i'm impressed.

i actually love seeing him up and moving around again, but i guess this means i can't call him a bagworm anymore... initially i called him a jolly rancher (because of his hair color in stampede and also because my friend called him "chewable"), then he changed to bagworm... which i guess was an upgrade since at least bagworms are alive?! i need another weird pet name for him. maybe i should just call him a moth now...

he's sitting like a frog :)

and he's imbuing the bullets with his power...! i see, that's how he defeated that big guy 2 chapters ago! ...and then livio startles him so much he leaves a hole. i'm sobbing.

handsome!!!! also "new hair, new outlook" hits different when it comes from vash, huh?

i am not gonna lie, the coin case has been such a nonentity in this story that i was temporarily VERY confused because i forgot it had come with the other halves already in the case.

also... elendira doesn't get one? why? is it because it's legato's game? so she refused to play... because she hates him...? LOL

and then. a random guy shows up. and gives them the last coin. why. listen nightow i know your initial plan for the coins went out the window and you need to wrap up this plot point now but like. is this REALLY the best you could do? LMAO

chapter 5:

oh boy... so much information here... the sudden reveal of another independent... and what to glean from all this about the relationship between plants and humans on earth... aaahghgh i wanted more information about this but now i have to wrap my head around it!! aaaaghh... my soupy brain...

"our generation was wired with neural blocking programs"... to prevent them from fusing? or is there more to it? hmmm. this is giving like. sci-fi advanced AI vibes. with a program that blocks them from going terminator. except the plants are made of flesh. or something. i'm... not sure how to feel about it, honestly.

i love seeing vash and livio being silly together. lord knows we need what silliness we can get.

vash going to press the switch and livio freaking out about it is SOOO funny BUT meryl DID tell vash that there were no explosives in the coin case. so he could've pressed it!!!

why is he flirting.....

i'm joking but also i'm not. but i think the only way these two would actually kiss is if they were playing a game of gay chicken.

...but come on, "let's kill each other, just the two of us"?? buddy...

also his uh... companion... helper...? is here...? is this the same one that was assisting him when he was a bagworm? ????? i still have no idea what they are or what to make of them.

?!?!?!?! RUDE?????

i mean she IS a bitch but i'm saying that as a COMPLIMENT. a compliment!!! as in "my wife is a bitch and i love her so much"!!! BUT VASH IS BEING RUDE!!!!

uagh, i had to post the full page, this is so lovely. i like seeing vash and livio bond; it looks like vash is warming up and happy that his choice to trust livio is paying off. and livio is trying really hard to live up to that. they both feel the impact wolfwood had on the two of them... it's very sweet.

this exchange is SO funny. just doing some diy with explosive items :)

uhhh, something something humanity's relationship with god!

right, this happened in the final fight in 98. "he cancelled me out..."

oh my god, FINALLY a fucking HUG around here!!!!!

they're sweet. :( also we need more hugs in this manga. EVERYONE needs a hug. what we really need is a big cuddle pile.

so much buildup... i'm scared. chronica turning off her "limiter program"... is this the same thing that prevents plants from fusing or is it something else? what is she gonna try doing?? ughhh, the apprehension is killing me...

chapter 6:

she's so cute... and she's soooo... COOOOL!!!!!

i love elendira, she is really cool and strong and funny, but... we don't really know anything deeper about her. what makes her tick? why is she following knives? are we gonna get a backstory? i wanna know everything about her!! i've wanted to know since her introduction!!!

and of course livio can live through getting impaled so many times. that's NOTHING to him. and his interaction with the kids is cute. and his reunion with jasmine is sweet. not going to say aaaanything about nightow's inconsistent timeline again...

actually no, i lied just now. it would be one thing if he had just... changed his mind midway though the manga and then stuck with it. but he's ACTIVELY going BACK AND FORTH on this. "six years" was LESS THAN 10 CHAPTERS AGO but if it still holds true then jasmine should NOT be this old. these chapters were published WITHIN THE SAME YEAR. RRAAAAAGHHGHGH

*cough* anyway. livio is such a big sweetie... i never disliked him, but my impression of him has changed. in stampede i didn't really know what to think of him. he didn't have a personality, he was just brainwashed. and his manga self was stoic and cool before. which... didn't seem like it was brainwashing, necessarily? i don't know?? maybe it was just an act he was putting on. he went goober mode as soon as the fight was over. perhaps no longer being beholden to EoM allowed him to embrace his inherent silliness. i liked his cool and stoic self but i LOVE his big silly teddy bear self. he's so... uwah. he makes me smile.

now that we're getting closer to the end i'm getting impatient... i feel the urge to just read the rest of it all in one go... but i mustn't... i must show restraint...!!!

[thecloudstan]

What did you think about the Sephiroth and Rufus situation? I personally LOVED it. I had a feeling from the start that Glenn was actually Sephiroth, and when it was confirmed at the end it just made the Glenn scenes even better. Sephiroth has a huge grudge against Rufus that wasn’t in the original and I think it’s glorious, both because it was immensely entertaining and because it fleshed out their characters. Rufus was the only one this entire time who managed to get some kind of emotion out of Sephiroth and actually got under his skin, while Sephiroth read him like a freaking book (the infamous “pig headed, pathetic, daddy hating child” line. Side note: it would’ve been even funnier if it was said in Sephiroth’s voice and not Glenn’s. The idea of him saying “daddy” just tickles my funny bone.)

I think their dynamic is more interesting than Sephiroth and Cloud’s simply because they’re almost on equal footing- at least mentally- and while Sephiroth has the physical strength Rufus has his money and influence, and I was freaking out the entire time they showed up together.

Sorry for the long ask/rant, but hey, you did say to feel free to vent about our emotions 😅

I was kinda at a loss when Glenn first showed up, my husband and I were wayyy on the wrong track. I'm actually glad we were, I'm much happier that it was Sephiroth trying to keep Rufus out of his way, especially since Rufus catches on pretty quickly in the original. At least, he understands pretty promptly that Sephiroth is a more pressing problem than everything else.

The thing I can't quite figure out is whether this Glenn visual is being perpetrated by the Sephiroth we know or the Sephiroth who exists outside of time (I keep referring to him as Advent Children Sephiroth and original as Alpha Sephiroth). I think it MUST be AC Seph because he seems to be using every possible tack to buy himself (Alpha Seph) time. He even goes so far as to try and kill Tifa in the Lifestream, which was fucking SHOCKING...he's really doing his best to keep Aerith alive, Cloud in thrall, Rufus off his (and Avalanche's) back, and Tifa from being in a position to remind Cloud who he really is much later in Mideel.

And beneath this cut is wild theorizing that goes way beyond the scope of your message, omg. I blathered so much I decided it needed a cut!!

Sorry, this might all sound nutso since there are so many things happening at once. I think anytime you see Seph in-storyline it's a Reunion clone (iow, a fully thralled SOLDIER, etc). So far I think AC Seph is in Cloud's head and anytime you're between realities (Edge of Creation). Like, the fucked up Whispers are that indication that you're dealing with AC Seph and not Alpha Seph. A good example would be the Citadel (bear with me).

Aerith knows she has to pray for Holy and return to the Planet (die). But when the heroes arrive, they don't know her intent, so the white Whispers (deployed by the Planet in cooperation with Aerith), are already there beating back AC Seph's black Whispers, while also trying to keep Cloud & Co. from breaking through and rescuing her. The Sephiroth that falls from the sky and does the deed doesn't really matter...he's just a Reunion clone. Right? This is what I think, at least.

I have to go back and play through and pay closer attention to each of his individual arrivals to be sure, but it's what I've cooked up in my brain so far. AC Seph just talks to Cloud differently. It's an attempt to lead by filling him with rage that will make him act, instead of his previous tack of essentially ignoring him because he was too squid-brained-Jenova-pilled to pay any attention to little blonde boy what stabbed him to death, except to use him to gain the black materia (and hurt him as much as he could along the way). In the original game, Sephiroth was more interested in striking fear into Cloud, using him to do horrific things to his friends, calling him a puppet, etc. This backfires because Cloud is so terrified of what's inside him that he just...does not act. It's quite literally why Aerith is not saved, and why Cloud blames himself for her loss.

On the other hand, shiny new AC Seph is all, "don't you want to protect this beautiful Planet with me??" Whereas Alpha Seph is still more along the lines of, "I will ascend and devour this world like my Mother." AC Seph understands who he's talking to. And yet still doesn't understand the strength that person possesses...

ANYWAY, all of this hinges on the belief that AC Sephiroth is not interfering with the actions of Alpha Seph, or really that he can't, so he's thralling Cloud and pushing him to do his bidding, just like the original...except AC Seph already knows that he fucked up and has to fix what he broke. In his own words...he underestimated Cloud and company (for a second, or really THIRD time). I think Reunion is going to combine not just the wayward Jenova cells, but the timelines. Jenova isn't being replicated with each new world, but her genetic material still is. I think AC Seph ultimately wants to successfully summon Meteor, but he has to create a universe in which Aerith never returns to the Planet after praying, which would cripple Holy. He has to make sure Cloud stays in thrall, because he simply can't overpower him in any reality (this is why Tifa has go to go, in his mind). And lastly, he has to off himself at the Northern Crater. When Sephiroth says to Cloud "you have my blessing," obviously it was him urging Cloud to protect Aerith this time-to interject and stop him. I think it extends further, though. I think he wants Cloud to destroy him (original game Sephiroth, that is) so that only he (that new Seph) remains when Reunion is complete. Jury's out on whether he plans to permanently use Cloud as his vessel. I'm not sure about that one. We'll see.

Also, I'd say it was Cloud who gagged Sephiroth the most when he returned from a fractured timeline with the white materia and we got that miffed Sephiorth line, "Bad form..." 😂 Absolutely loved seeing that man rattled for a moment.

Thanks for the long message, actually. I should apologize for the long response!! In all honesty, I'm rusty on Ever Crisis and Before Crisis and First Soldier Stuff. I only ever read synopses of those things to keep up and so details often slip my mind. If I misspoke or overlooked something that somehow has background in those titles, I apologize.

COME. WILDLY THEORIZE WITH ME!!

[goddessofroyalty]

Prompto being a test baby before they get Cloud pregnant with the remnants. Mostly to make sure he and Sephiroth were compatible how they wanted genetically. He's tossed to the side pretty soon after, since they want to focus on making the perfect kids. (Probably plan on currupting him at some point) And he still gets taken from the lab and shit. So obviously later instead of just finding out about his parentage, he also finds out that he has three little brothers. None of the guys know how to feel about them, haha. Maybe they show up randomly, and no one knows what to think of each other. Until they bond over Chocobos.

So while yes happy to play with Prompto as test-baby (of course I am), I have to also suggest the other option my bring immediately thought of: Prompto being the oops baby Cloud & Sephiroth conceive while the scientists were still trying to set things up for the conception of the Sephiroth-heir they want them to have (possibly including a level of exposing Cloud to enough... whatever the equivilent of Jenova cells are in this universe to hopefully overwrite his genetic code as well). Doesn’t change anything, but, you know, there you go. 

Back onto topic (and under the cut because this got long). 

I feel like no matter what the background of them all are once the triplets are born Prompto would be pushed to the side by the scientists and deemed less of a success than them. I mean ignoring all the other features Prompto clearly inherited from Cloud instead of Sephiroth there is the biggest - the eyes. Assuming Sephiorth still gets the mako green eyes and they are still the obvious and clearest sign of whatever created him in this universe as SOON as it’s identified the triplets have inherited them (compared to Prompto who got Cloud’s eyes) it is assumed they also inherited more of Sephiroth’s power than Prompto did. If you add to that an already existing bias that they are the real attempt at obtaining an heir to Sephiroth well... Prompto is all-but completely ignored. 

Which, I mean, being ignored by the scientists is probably better for Prompto overall. Sure he still gets somewhat experimented on but also it’s easier for Cloud/whoever to smuggle him out without too much of a fight (other than maybe Sephiroth). 

Flash-forward the however many years to Prompto finding out about the... everything. Including the fact he has younger brothers. 

Honestly it’s probably even funnier if over the years he’s commented how he would love to have younger siblings, be a big brother, etc, etc. Because like now he is! But this isn’t at all what he pictured. Hell, they’re not at all what he pictured when he thought about hypothetical younger siblings. 

And while the triplets were probably aware that they did have a big brother somewhere out there in the world they certain’y hadn’t expected said big brother to be anything like Prompto. 

The rest of the Chocobros mostly just feel like awkward third-wheels to the meeting. Yes, they are there to support Prompto but... they also didn’t expect Prompto’s younger brother’s to look/behave as they do. Yes, it makes sense seeing the three were even more experimented on than Prompto and possibly grew up within Niflheim’s empire’s labs/within the wilderness of Niflheim after escaping said labs but still, somehow, they had expected mini-Promptos. 

I love the idea of the siblings bonding over Chocobos! So cute! And also probably fairly unexpected by the others once they realised these three are very much NOT mini-Prompto’s and instead a lot more like Sephiroth that they still have their brothers love of Chocobos. 

[atopearth]

Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 1 - Avalanche, Flower Girl & Childhood Friend (CH 1-8)

The long awaited remake!! Jessie is sooo pretty btw, I love it! I’ve always liked Jessie since the original because of how nice she was to Cloud, so it’s nice to see that they put so much effort into her looks. Biggs looks pretty cool too, but he’s such a silly guy haha. Most of the first chapter was pretty much like the demo so nothing much to say about it besides that I like the Japanese dub much more than the English haha. Btw, I’m playing on normal mode~ Barret is so aggressive and a bit annoying now that you can hear him though LOL. I have to say though, the camera is soo annoying in this game lol, it frustrates me so much. And the boss in the reactor has so much life, it was a tiring battle lol. Otherwise, great nostalgia! I still remember so well in the original when Jessie gets her leg stuck and you have to free her~ In the original, you kinda had to go to her to yourself, whereas in this remake, they force you into the scene of freeing her which is good!! Because lmao, I legit didn’t realise she was stuck in the original game and totally ignored her and went back up the elevator, and what happened?! I was stuck and couldn’t get out of the reactor without her, and I couldn’t go back to save her because it didn’t let me backtrack!! So yes, nice memories, I felt so bad though, I legit left her there to die LOL. Anyway, despite Heidegger and them contributing to the destruction of the sector, it is true that it was because of Avalanche’s actions that made all these people die or get injured, since Heidegger probably wants to pin on them how much of a terrorist they are to the masses.

Sephiroth appearing is so awkward btw, but I think what irks me is that the menacing part of him isn’t shown very well. Doesn’t help that Those Chosen By the Planet (what I think to be Sephiroth’s theme) doesn’t have the same threatening feel to it imo. Aww I felt like the train scene with Barret shooing off the Shinra people was done more seriously than the original, and I feel like it also shows how rash and sometimes naive the Avalanche group is. I felt like the scene was funnier in the original because Barret was being aggressive and scared them away lol. Anyway, not sure what those things flying around Aerith are (dementorssss!), but nice flower lol. I found it sooo cuteee how Cloud so naturally gave the flower to Tifa though, like dang, my heart swooned! Tifa is so beautiful btw~ Interesting that she rented a room for Cloud, guess it was unnecessary in the original since you’re running around everywhere already, whereas in the remake, Cloud is going to be earning money joining the neighbourhood watch (killing monsters) and doing odd jobs haha. Honestly though, seeing Barret dote on Marlene was so sweet, I always found it heartwarming how much he loved and cherished her. Lmao when she ran away from Cloud since he was a “stranger” lol. Nice to see all these different materia though, looks like it’ll be fun to try them!

Okay, the side quests were pretty useless but I guess it helped to gain experience and get me used to the combat system a bit more. Honestly though, playing as Tifa is much more fun than Cloud haha. Doesn’t help that Tifa is such a cute beauty~ Am I the only weirdo taking non-stop screenshots of her because she looks so good in every angle? LOL. When Tifa asked what kind of clothing suits her best, I wasn’t really sure, but I guess I would like to see something mature haha. I can see why Tifa would have doubts about what Avalanche is doing though. I mean, sure she agrees with their ideals and goals, but the way they’re doing it isn’t exactly the “best” way to do it since it involves a lot of casualties. So, I’m kinda glad that Cloud kinda advised her in his own way that she should really follow her heart and to not do it if she isn’t able to. Oh and that darts game at Seventh Heaven? Yeah, I sucked at it LOL. Anyway! Jessie feeling bad about the bomb she made causing such unprecedented destruction on the city is understandable, so going to grab a weaker reagent is something she’d do. Nice that she got Cloud to come along with her, but it was also pretty cute that Biggs and Wedge kinda knew what she was up to. Didn’t think about the idea of the Avalanche members having families, so knowing that Jessie seems to have a warm family that would turn on the light every night waiting for her to come home is kinda sweet yet saddening. On the other hand, that motorcycle chase lmao, I was so terrible at it, I legit nearly died hahaaha. Roche was a crazy guy man, it felt so difficult to catch up to him and deal some damage lol. Like how does he do all these crazy stuff with the motorcycle?! Honestly, it makes me think of a motorcycle version of SSX (that snowboarding game where you do tricks) because, I’m surprised he and his bike are intact lol.  Although, in a sense, it did seem easier than the original game though, I mean, I used to legit miss the targets reallyyyyyy badly in the original hahahah. But yeah, it was nice to have that mini game I guess, I just didn’t expect it right now lol. BUT, the highlight of the motorcycle chase here was definitely Jessie hugging Cloud from behind on the motorcycle and feeling so comfortable and safe with him around. I honestly felt it, but then again, who wouldn’t feel safe with Cloud?! He’s so reliable and cool!

Honestly, I never would have thought Jessie would be an actress at the Gold Saucer! That’s an interesting back story. Kinda saddening though, that when she finally got a starring role, her dad collapsed in a Mako storage (since he was a maintenance supervisor for Shinra) for half a day and got Mako poisoning, so now he’s in a comatose state. I guess it’s understandable how one thing led to another for Jessie to join Avalanche, but I feel devastated for the mother. It’s a tough life but there’s still the hope and happiness of seeing Jessie return home when she can, but…that’s not going to happen forever.. Well, well, that diversion Cloud had to do alongside Biggs and Wedge was not fun! But it was cool to see Ifrit haha. Honestly think the highlight was seeing Cloud warm up to Biggs and Wedge after this little mission, not only did he get to see that Wedge is willing to put his life on the line for Cloud even though they just hired him for these missions, he also got to see how passionate they are about their reasons for being in Avalanche. They really should count themselves lucky that another sub group of Avalanche was there to bail them out though! Anyway, Cloud smiling was so cute. Lmao when Wedge called Cloud “aniki” after the mission hahahah, it’s so adorable. I love how Cloud tells Wedge not to call him that every time he does it hahaha. And it was so cuteee when Cloud quietly said he hopes Jessie’s dad will get better soon, he cares!! It’s so sweet! 

Oh, btw LOL at the random grandma that noticed all the commotion from Cloud/Avalanche and thought it was Wutai attacking Shinra again, so she said she’d join in since she used to fight against them when she was young loll, chill grandma!! It’s quite cute how Biggs and Wedge can tell that Jessie is interested in Cloud, so sweet how they look out for Cloud instead and say she’s not serious though hahaha. Omggg, Jessie giving him a hug as extra payment for helping out on the mission was so cuteeee, I love her. She’s so forward and honest, but so cuteee. I loved how she said she’d make pizza for him. Biggs overthinking was really adorable, but Cloud telling him to prioritise resting up for tomorrow was nice to see. He has such a soft spot for them all now, it’s so heartwarming. It was so considerate and kind of Cloud to offer to listen to Tifa’s worries, I loved how casually he said it.

No idea what those spectres are, but OMG!! CLOUD PRINCESS CARRYING JESSIE?! Yes, my heart squealed🥺🥺🥺 That Shinra Middle Manager guy on the train is so passionate and loyal to them, it’s pretty admirable tbh. He’s obviously scared of Barret but he’s unafraid to voice his opinions and views to him, Shinra sure has passionate workers. I loved the jumping out of the train part!! Cloud held Tifa close and protected her🥰 On the other hand, I really didn’t need the corny part where the Shinra Middle Manager was shocked that Barret and them would protect the others on the train though, I think if we just see him being impressed and kinda acknowledging them, it would have been fine lol. Anyway, is it just me or are the normal monsters harder than the bosses?! Like seriously lol! Or maybe I’m just too reckless tbh because I legit just roll around and attack hahahah. Yes, that’s how I roll. Oh btw, I forgot to say, but I’m kinda sad that we never got to go downstairs at Seventh Heaven!! That’s like my favourite part! I loved the interactions between everyone at Avalanche there, oh well I guess… We kinda got the interactions through Jessie’s story instead I guess.

Going through Sector 5 was legit tedious lol, but it was cool to see holograms of the President and Heidegger, and the boss!! I’m not sure if I really weakened the boss by taking away the right stuff, but I just kinda took all the big bombs and some programming cores and it was relatively easy. Btw cowboy Tifa is adorableee! Aerith and Cloud reuniting at the church and squashing his flowers wasn’t as magical as it felt in the original imo (even though it was HD T_T). And I also feel like Aerith was more cooler in the original in my memory haha. Reno definitely looks better as a bunch of pixels than in HD LOL, I’m sorry Reno, you’re my favourite boy ever in FFVII but I hate his close up look here hahaha. Although I think it’s mainly because his open shirt look is very...ugly LOL. Make him cool not tacky! The Turks theme wasn’t as clicky sounding(?) as well so I think it kinda lost how cool the soundtrack was imo, but oh well~ And dang, I legit found the battle so difficult with him hahahah, I probably should have used more magic etc to deal with him but far out, his lightning attacks lol. I’m kinda sad they kicked out rolling the barrels to save Aerith from the Shinra soldiers though, I used to just let Aerith fight them, and I think it would have been cool if they let Aerith fight them, since it kinda showed that even though Aerith is physically weak, she’s still got a lot of guts and resolve to fight against people stronger than her imo. Instead, we get that stupid chandelier thing and the hand bars that had superrr clunky controls, it wasn’t fun at all! 

Cloud and Aerith talking and bonding throughout their little trip on the rooftops to escape was cute, I love how she answered that the Turks might have been after her because she would be a great SOLDIER candidate (since the work Turks does includes scouting for SOLDIER) hahaha. The princess carry Cloud did to catch Aerith when she fell was cute, but it was done so purposefully that I couldn’t like it as much as I wanted, Jessie’s one was much more natural and sweet. But it’s Aerith so I’ll take it, because dang is it beautiful~~ I wish they showed how Aerith was trying really hard to catch up to Cloud and was like out of breath by the time they got to the sector lol, I found that cute in the original. Anyway, I also miss Aerith using her staff to smack monsters, the sound was so iconic lmao. I guess it’s understandable that they changed her skillset to be shooting magic out of her staff but still🥺 Rude on the other hand looks pretty cool! I wonder if they’ll mention how he likes Tifa and they’ll add it into the battles so that he won’t attack her hahaha. Oh yeah, forgot to mention it, but did Cloud see Aerith die in those visions he had? Not sure if I’m into how it’s all going right now, but hmm kinda weird.

Elmyra doesn’t look as gentle as she did in the original, kinda sad~~ But I still think it’s hilarious how pushy Aerith is and how much she does things at her own pace lol. I hope we get to do the tiptoe thing at night like in the original where Cloud tries to run off in the middle of the night when she forces him to stay at her house for the night haahha. Shiva was pretty easy! I’m proud of myself hehe! Legit just Fira her to death until I could summon etc hahaha. Not sure how I feel about that intern being able to make summon materia though, I always felt like summons were spirits of nature that you kinda make a contract with, so artificially creating them feels weird. I honestly feel like more effort was put into Tifa than Aerith when it comes to the expressions and their faces imo. I always imagined Aerith to look very energetic, happy and kind, but in a lot of the scenes, her face looks very stern and you can’t see the kindness in her eyes, whereas with Tifa, there’s lots of details in every expression she makes. Sigh, it’s pretty saddening since Aerith is my favourite girl… Btw lmao at the Leaf House drawings of the cactuar, tonberry, chocobo and moogle hahaha, so cute but ugly lmaoo. Hahahaha there’s such a thing as fat Chocobo candy🤣🤣🤣 Moggie is weirdddd looking lol, did not expect that. Whack-a-box was a pretty boring game tbh, Gunners Gauntlet in FFX-2 is way better imo. Maybe there might be more stages later? I do appreciate how easy it was to get 30,000 points though haha, I’m still salty over the jump rope in FFIX lmao, no way could I ever do more than 50 of those jumps hahaha. Okay, don’t judge me, but I farmed moogle medals with the game by leaving it on while I played other games on my phone lmao. Man, those side quests were difficult to do with Aerith, I really hate her skillset right now lolll. I guess that’s normal though? Since, in the original, I found this part really difficult at times because she was so weak lmaoo. The fight with Rude was much easier than with Reno though! Maybe it’s because Aerith was there just to heal me hahaha. Anyway, I really like how careful and protective Rude and Reno are with Aerith. I feel like you can feel that a lot of it is related to their work as the Turks, but at the same time, they honestly feel that Aerith should take care of herself better by not running around so much lol. Btw lmao at Cloud carrying that flower basket hahaha. When Aerith was talking to the flowers and saying that they don’t respond to her no matter how much she talks to them, I found it really cute that before they left, Cloud asked to the flowers to respond to her some time since she’s so sincere haha. Cloud is such a big softie, it’s adorable. Just saying, but Aerith running up the stairs to clean the guest room for Cloud was so cute, I’m dying. Cloud’s mum looks pretty! Lmao, the tiptoeing out of the house is actually hilarious. I just took one step and hit a bucket and it made the loudest noise ever hahahaah, of course Aerith could hear! Lmao, I failed twice and they removed the buckets so you don’t need to dodge anything hahahha. I’m sorry I suck okay?! Although I always found it hilarious in the original that you can actually see Aerith jump out of bed and run super fast to push you back into your room hahaha.  I’ve always loved how Aerith pops out and surprises Cloud that she noticed him leaving without her. Does Cloud’s tears mean subconsciously he remembers her death? Is this FFVII 2.0? A sequel? Are we reliving FFVII alternate universe so we can save Aerith this time?

Overall, the remake has been relatively fun so far. The camera is rather clunky at times but it’s okay I guess. The story is pretty linear and won’t let me walk around and explore unless it wants me to though, I swear that warning sign is so obnoxious I want to punch it! So yeah, it can be rather frustrating when I’m looking for treasure chests, like I’m constantly being called out for going to the wrong way hahaha. Let me live my life, guys! Everything looks great and I really enjoyed the extra bits with Jessie tbh, I think that was my highlight for these 8 chapters haha. I hope everything will continue to be as beautiful and interesting. I’m not a fan of the soundtrack though, it feels a little too electric? Techno? I don’t know how to describe it but it feels weird haha. Also weird to see/hear different theme songs and stuff at vending machines, because it just..doesn’t suit the atmosphere lol, anyway I’m just picky, it’s still cool. I really like Jessie’s Theme though!

But yeah, I really loved that the remake added the part where they go to back to Jessie’s home etc. I found it really sweet and comforting to see that Jessie had a family, and that Biggs and Wedge got along with her mother so well. I think the extra bonding and interactions between Avalanche and Cloud will really make the lost of them that more painful and dramatic. I think some people think Jessie seems too “thirsty”, but I think she’s great because of how forward she is, and how subtle but also honest she is about her feelings. She’s never completely direct about it, but she’s obviously attracted to Cloud and I think it’s really cute, mainly because she can see how cold he may be on the surface, but also how soft he is on the inside. I think my favourite moment with her was when she hugged Cloud on the motorbike so comfortably, it honestly felt like (from her perspective) that she found someone she could really rely on and believe in when she’s in trouble and I thought that was really heartwarming. Otherwise, wow, the shipping with Cloud and the girls is SO STRONG, I’m starting to think it’s a visual novel where I can pick the girl I like lmao. Honestly though, you can tell how much it’s catering to older fans who love the girls. The fanservice is blatant! But it makes for great screenshots so yay~! But seriously, the dementors and Sephiroth appear too much, it’s frustrating, especially the ghosts/spectres.

[idridian]

Day 5. Time travel to a new or old era

@gayredmage‘s Crack Week is in full effect!

So much funnier like this. I love sassy Jenova. First instance of me skipping the sex scene.

“Oh, come the fuck on” Cloud mumbles, staring down at his phone.

It’s the third time this week that Sephiroth shows up to cause havoc, and this time it is in Nibelheim of all places. Well, not exactly Nibelheim itself. More like in the general vicinity of the old reactor. But still, Cloud is the one who gets notified, and Cloud is the one expected to go and deal with the issue. And he’s getting pretty sick of it.

He calls Cid to get a lift on his friend’s new airship (because unfortunately his motorcycle can’t cross oceans, no matter how much he tries to make it possible), and prays to Gaia that Sephiroth will still be there when he arrives and he won’t have to chase him across half the planet again. Like he did last Friday. Instead of going to the movies with Tifa like originally planned. Which he is still pretty pissed about.

Today, however, luck is on his side, and when he stomps towards the half-dilapidated reactor, Sephiroth is waiting for him on the steps. Something that looks suspiciously like Jenova with even less limbs than before is propped up against the doorframe behind him. Sephiroth is obviously protective of it, which obviously means Cloud will end up having to destroy it.

“Good to see you, Cloud” Sephiroth sneers. He appears to be fond of this catchphrase and has greeted Cloud with it every single time he came back since Meteor Crisis several years ago, and apparently doesn’t get the hint that it stopped being intimidating after the third use.

Cloud doesn’t answer and draws his swords.

~

A fight of truly epic proportions ensues, which the author was unfortunately too lazy to write down. But there is lots of awesome one-liners and acrobatic jumping and the Power of Friendship helping Cloud not get his ass kicked. Promise.

Unfortunately, the Power of Friendship can only do so much, and so Aerith, Cloud’s second best dead friend and former healing specialist, decides to intervene from beyond the grave. She calls upon a super secret Cetra Magic Spell that was never mentioned before this very moment due to being super secret. It bursts from the sky in a blindingly bright beam of magic, instantly destroying every piece of flora and fauna it touches, and trapping Cloud, Sephiroth, and what is left of Jenova in its center.

After a few agonizing seconds of sheer light that will probably have some very nasty aftereffects on the eyes, it disappears again, and Cloud and Sephiroth are left standing in the middle of a zone of absolute destruction. It takes them a moment to collect themselves. Cloud tilts his head back and stares at the sky accusingly.

“Aerith, what the fuck?!”

“Umm…” comes the answer from the lifestream.

Sephiroth, who just a second ago was summoning thunderstorms and trying to slice Cloud to pieces, suddenly looks very lost. His eyes dart from the spot where the mummified remains of his ‘mother’ were situated just a few seconds earlier, to Cloud, and then to the clouds above that the magic spell had erupted from. “Where did she go?” he asks in an unusually small voice.

Cloud groans. “Aerith, please tell me you know where she went!”

“I… think I do? I mean, I can’t sense her presence anymore, but there’s really only one explanation for that, so…”

She is interrupted by Sephiroth, apparently over his moment of perplexity. “What did you do to my mother?!” he yells, and Cloud ducks just in time to avoid being turned into shashlik.

“I accidentally cast the wrong spell!” Aerith yells back “She got sent… uh, somewhere else. Kind of difficult to tell where exactly. I’ll figure it out. Please stop killing Cloud; I still need him for stuff”

Sephiroth hesitates, giving Cloud enough time to put some distance between himself and Masamune. The one-winged angel frowns, and looks up at the sky with an almost wistful expression. “What did you do to her, Cetra girl? Into what hell did you send my sweet mother?”

~

Wow, cold. Why the heck is it so cold? What happened to global warming?

…also, why can I feel cold?

She stirs slowly, getting a feel for the body she apparently has (??? what??) and taking in her surroundings.

Not Nibel mountains. Snow and lots of wind. Nothern Cave? Also, tribe people. That’s bad.

She’s surrounded by a bunch of Cetra (??????????? when did those stop being dead????) who are trying to multitask between threatening her with spears (yup, that usually helps against alien viruses) and whispering amongst themselves (do they realize she can hear them?). All in all, not the worst situation she’s ever been in. Not even the second worst one. She’d place it around the 200th place or something. One of the Cetra people steps forward and starts talking in one of their Northern dialects about how they have missed the sight of her, and how glad they are to welcome her back in their mid. She deems it better not to murder them all, and instead maybe get them to help her find out how the heck she got here.

I love how they still think ‘thing that takes on the forms of your dead relatives’ means ‘good’. This is exactly why you’re dead. Speaking of which, why are you not dead?

She doesn’t say that aloud though. Instead she lets the clueless (and most probably doomed) Cetra help her up and lead her to presumably one of their villages. She’s not really paying attention. Her mind is still aching with the acute loss of her connection with Sephiroth (ow ow ow) and the disorientation that comes when the personality you shared a mind with is gone, but the imprints it left on your personality are still there.

In his case those were a lot of thoughts involving penetration, and sarcasm. Bless him for sarcasm; I never knew I needed that so badly.

They have arrived at the village, where quickly a crowd of curious faces forms around them. A few children try to touch her hair, but are held back by what are presumably their parents, who stare at her suspiciously. Their survival instinct seems to be working better than that of the other Cetra, at least. Not that it’ll help them when she shows her true form.

~

She is led into a large building made of clay, which consists of only one single room with a fireplace in the middle and soft fur mats on the floor all around. In one corner of the room, on a huge pile of furs in all kinds of different colours and patterns, sits what at first glance looks like a woman.

At second glance…

Oh boy.

The villagers bow to the creature and take their leave, pulling the thick leather curtain that serves as a door shut behind them and leaving Jenova alone in the room with… herself.

Because she might have a lot on her mind and sometimes get things mixed up, but she sure as hell remembers what she looked like back in the day. And this is most definitely her.

I forgot how damn gorgeous I used to look without all those mutations.

Her past self lounges on her seat gracefully, her head tilted to the side and resting on one arm to give off an aura of effortless boredom. She eyes present Jenova up and down, taking in the appearance of some dead Cetra woman who has apparently had the audacity to come back to life. She sighs deeply.

“I don’t know who you are, but since you are resisting my attempts at penetrating your mental barriers and seeing how you managed to return… I guess we will have to do this the old fashioned way”

Present Jenova feels the corner of her mouth twitch at the mention of ‘penetrating’ her mind. Past Jenova frowns, obviously confused by the reaction.

Ah yes, you won’t be introduced to the concept of innuendoes for another 2000 years. I forgot.

Nonetheless, she steps forward with a not very subtle swing to her hips. She knows how to sex appeal. Or, well, she knows how to sex appeal around her son. Charming this sentient ice block of a creature will be a whole different challenge.

“I doubt what you’d find inside me would be of interest to you, but…” She opens her arms in a gesture of invitation “Feel free to try!”

Her counterpart arches an eyebrow, unimpressed. “If you thought seducing me was going to get you out of the trouble you’re currently in, then I am sad to inform you that you are sorely mistaken. Your human pleasures do not interest me”

Bitch please; I know where your clitoris is. That should spark your interest.

How very lucky she is that her past self can’t ‘penetrate’ her mind. If she could, Jenova would probably be in a lot of trouble right now. She can’t though, and so her counterpart remains clueless about the brilliant masterplan forming in her head, which mostly consists of “go down on her, get away, go back to own time”. She has no idea how to do the second and third one yet. The first one, however…

~

The air is loaded with static when she wakes up, having dozed off curled against her counterpart’s back. That one appears to be asleep. Jenova sits up, careful not to make any noise, and cocks her head to the side to listen to what’s happening around her.

That smells like time magic. Did the Cetra girl finally figure out how to control it properly?

She stretches her legs and makes to stand up.

The sudden grip of her past self is vicelike and decisive. “Do you really think that I’m just going to let you leave, after displaying such interesting skills? Not to mention a rather detailed knowledge of my body – the real one, the one I haven’t shown anyone?”

The static in the air has turned to crackling energy by now, growing brighter and brighter around them. This is definitely the same spell as the one used back at the Nibel reactor, where this whole mess started. And that means…

“I’m going to go with ‘yes’ for now” she tells past-Jenova, whose eyes widen in anger. She opens her mouth to speak, but the light beam hits before she can form the words.

~

Two thousand years later, she opens her eyes.

Holy shit I have eyes. And a body. And no clothes.

“Mother!!” a very familiar and sorely missed voice screams, and the next moment Sephiroth has thrown his arms around her, holding her close and at the same time shielding her naked form from a very confused looking Cloud Strife. “Don’t you dare look!” her son hisses.

Strife facepalms.

“Yay, it worked” the dead Cetra girl sings from the lifestream.

Jenova gets up, ignoring her son’s fierce protests, and stares up at the grey sky, presumably into the dead girl’s general direction. “Thank you kindly, Aerith Gainsborough” she says sweetly “How very nice of you to help me obtain a more suitable body than the old one”

There’s a moment of silence. Then the girl coughs awkwardly.

“Uh, yeah… sure. No problem”

“Aerith, what the fuck?!” Strife roars. He suddenly breaks into an outraged and very, very loud tirade about how he sacrificed everything for her, how dare she help the enemy, and so on. The Cetra listens for a bit, and then retaliates by pointing out that she was fucking killed by the enemy, thank you very much.

Jenova shakes her head, and grabs Sephiroth by the hand.

“Come on, we’re done here” she tells him, and leads him away, leaving Strife yelling at the sky while the sky points out his stupidity.

They walk in silence for a while. Jenova is amused to feel the effect her new body has on her son through their connection, and how uncomfortable it makes him.

Sarcasm and penetration. And bless him for both of those things.

He still hasn’t learned to shed the shame those silly humans taught him to feel though, and so once more it falls back on her to drag him down to the ground and make them one again. Her silly, weak, oh-so-human son. He looks lovely when he’s hers.

She cannot wait until this body is corrupted enough to grow tentacles.

[seven-oomen]

I mean, when I first thought of the trail mix thing, I was definitely thinking of Stiles and Jackson.  Then I thought, wait, that whole family is made up of dumbasses, assholes, and dumbass assholes.  It really could work for any combo of them.  Hence the more open-ended suggestion.  And I mean, some of the dog treats we carry could easily be mistaken for regular snacks anyway (hell, there’s one brand looks like a Teddy Graham, but is all bland fruit flavors.)  Also, now you’ve got me super nervous with that latest hint.  Doubt about what, exactly?…  There are so many potential options, some of them definitely more fraught than others.  Should I stock up on more coping consumables?

Hope you enjoyed your movie.  Today I’m opting for Winter Soldier, because while I may not be able to muster up any patriotism for America right now, I can always manage it (among myriad other emotions…) for America’s Ass.  And that movie is not only amazing, but comes with a bonus of 3 total Caps in it (technically.)  Though I can literally never watch it without my brain at least once going “hey, that’s the nurse from American Werewolf in London!” (the Security Council lady), which is apparently only entertaining to me, but I don’t care.

Had another thought brought on by too many Tasty videos (I know, I have a problem, I’m just not ready to deal with it yet.)  I know we’d discussed Chris kinda being the main cook of the three, as well as making the occasional fancy pastry and probably the more regular desserts.  Peter I can see being the one to make the more elaborate, fancy cakes and pies for special occasions, because he has a better grasp of how to extra, but classy about it.  Like, Chris will handle it if they need bulk amounts of things made for a bake sale (though others may chip in to help), while Peter will make it if they need something attention-grabbing for like a raffle or something.  Now, normally Noah doesn’t bake much outside a few handed down holiday recipes (he can very rarely be convinced to make some ridiculously delicious triple chocolate chunk cookies that he refuses to share the recipe for, but it takes a lot of convincing to outweigh Stiles’ potential tantrums about healthy eating.  [Mostly Stiles is mad because he REALLY wants the recipe, but clings to the easiest excuse]), but the idea occurred to me that maybe while he’s stuck at home more during the latter part of his pregnancy, he develops an interest in bread-making.  He already has some experience with dough from his family’s pierogi recipes (and he has a babka one he’d loved to try if he felt more confident, so), he can take rests while the dough is proving, he finds the kneading very meditative (and he certainly has the arm strength for it), and just mostly finds he rather enjoys it.  And the family certainly enjoys the fruits of his labors.  After the twins are born, he starts branching out into different, fancier kinds as the mood strikes him, and Peter gets very used to coming home to a house that smells of fresh baked bread and home cooked food, underlined with the scents of his mates and pups.  He finds he adores it on an almost spiritual level.

I…I think that was everything?   I’ll probably think of something as soon as I submit this, I usually do.  I hope you’re feeling better, and that writing has gone well today (and that you found some good games.  I had a number of friends talking about Steam’s sale [they apparently like to look through all the super cheap stuff for the so-bad-they’re-good kinds of fun.])  Did you know Keahu Kahuanui does/has done cosplay for Assassin’s Creed?  And Cody Christian and Tyler Hoechlin both did voices for the FF7 remake?  (You probably did, but the fact that Derek Hale voiced Sephiroth will never not be funny to me, so.)  Actually, there’s another costume idea - video game characters (I admit you probably have a far better repertory of known characters to pull from than I do.  I’m a casual gamer at the most generous.)

But anyway, hugs to you and Mo, good vibes and (hopefully) helpful inspiration!  Can’t wait to see what kinds of hints we get next!

Ok it’s 3 am, and I just finished some Detroit become Human on PC so whoops. (Already owned it on Ps4 but the Steam sale was too good. Three games for the price of one) Ah well, it’s Saturday (Sunday now?) and I have today off too.

I mean, that’s fair. A lot of dog treats honestly look like something I could eat when I’m not paying attention and just shoveling snacks into my mouth. (Also on another note, I may have eaten the dog’s kibble as a young child and my brother pulled a prank on me when I was an older child and fed me kibble without me knowing.) So I can definitely see how this family filled with dumbass assholes would pull it on one another. And it’s a fantastic image! XD

I debating on what kind of warning I should give this. Because I’m hoping it’s a bit impactful/emotional, but it’s not about the boys. I think that’s the best warning I can give it. It’s about a character in the main story that isn’t the main ship. But it has unforeseen consequences/implications? So maybe getting some good snacks is not a bad idea. Is that vague enough while also being considerate enough?

Huh actually, I might put in the set up for another reveal about another character. I’ve been working on that one for a while. (Nothing bad, just one of those, huh okay neat! things. I hope.)

Sully was so good, holy shit. I definitely enjoyed that one! Can highly recommend it actually. And yeah, as far as the MCU goes, WInter Soldier is one of my absolute favorites. I think for me it’s Thor Ragnarok, Black Panther, Winter Soldier. In that order. They’re just really good movies and definitely some of the funnier/better movies in the MCU. Although with Black Panther I did go: Lion King did it! a couple of times. But that’s okay, I loved the 90′s version of that too, so.

And Winter Soldier is def worth it for America’s ass, hmmhmm.

I love that headcanon, I can just see Peter coming home after some grueling day at the office, the house smells like fresh bread and pastries and freshly cooked lasagna, there’s the soft arguing of Stiles and Noah over recipes, Chris is just pulling dinner out of the oven. Allison has set the table with Lydia. Danny and Jackson are watching over the twins while Scott and Malia are keeping Ben entertained. And Derek is helping Chris with Dinner.

Their house has never been more lively and Peter’s living for it. Makes his entire day filled with dumb businessmen worthwhile because this is what he gets to come home to.

Did you know Keahu Kahuanui does/has done cosplay for Assassin’s Creed?  And Cody Christian and Tyler Hoechlin both did voices for the FF7 remake?

I did not actually, on both! (I’m terrible at voices/names, it’s honestly a thing.. I ain’t proud of it.)

But that explains why Sephiroth sounded so low key familiar to me. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Will definitely have to revisit that now. And I will say, Cody does a great job as Cloud.

Oooh that’s a good one though. Hmmm I feel maybe the FF franchises would have enough characters to do group cosplays. Or Kingdom hearts. The Witcher might have a few. 

Oh! Or a bunch of ‘adventurers’ for the group. Like Peter could be Nathan Drake. Chris could be Joel Miller. Noah could be Arthur Morgan. Jackson could be Cloud. Malia could be Lara Croft. Allison could be Clementine (TWD). Stiles could be Sora (KH). Lydia could be Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn).  Ben could be Atreus (God of War). Scott could do Link (Zelda). And they could go as this rag tag group of adventurers.

There are probably better ideas, but it’s almost 4 am and my sleeping pills are kicking in. So I’m gonna go catch some sleep.

But this was fun! <3

[placebonut]

So I finished FFVII: Remake and I have thoughts! Need to record my first impression before I read what everyone else thinks and potentially have my opinion warped beyond recognition! 

Overall, I enjoyed it. But maybe a “re-imagining” is a better description, as it looks like it’s shaping up to be a new story. I’ll need to play it again to fully understand all that wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff, though. FF games tend to get a bit abstract and confusing for me toward the end, so that’s not a criticism, just my reality lol.

Highlights:

+ Wedge lives! Apparently Biggs, too, but I have different thoughts about that… Even though they’re essentially the same, Wedge happened before knowing what the Whispers are, and that capital ‘D’ Destiny is fighting to stay on track by smothering all potential divergents, so it was a nice little surprise for me that Wedge survives. I’m even satisfied with how it happened. Like, he’s in the middle of sector 7 when the plate falls, but just through sheer luck gets knocked into a secret underground lab, which I now get to explore? Cool!

+ Johnny lol. No longer “childhood friend”, but still very entertaining. Though that scene where Cloud straight-up intends to execute him while he’s bound and blindfolded is a bit… Uh? I feel like it was supposed to be telling me something about Cloud’s character, but doesn’t really seem consistent. He’s got an attitude, and is very often moody and rude to people’s faces, but that moment is next level cold. That scene also implies that Avalanche aren’t killing all of the Shinra troopers they fight. I’ll just accept “fantasy” as the explanation for how they manage that!

+ Cloud being recognised in Shinra tower. Though does the Kunsel name-drop mean that some of Crisis Core canon will be included? I mean, they basically did a frame-by-frame reanimation of Zack’s last stand, but he doesn’t have the CC scar so I assume no Angeal. Lots to unpack, but I just enjoyed the moment. It makes sense that someone would remember him!

+ I think Madame M’s main role is to replace the .. violation? that Cloud experiences in the OG Honey Bee Inn. She’s still pretty much forcing him to have that hand massage, but at least he just hates that he likes it, rather than being actually super uncomfortable in a hot tub full of strange men. I feel like they steered away from the old homophobic humour and instead embraced some fun, gender non-conforming characters. I’m very straight and cis though, so maybe there’s nuance I missed. No named Shinra employees in the private HB rooms though?

+ Tifa!! I don’t think they’ve actually made changes to her character, but you just get so much more time with her, and I’m able to love her in a way I never really did in OG. My OG first impression was that she was needy, and annoyingly timid at the worse times. Obviously she gets a lot of character growth, but I could never shake that initial impatience I had with her, and the rivalry with Aeris (who the game clearly pushes you to like) just left me with a criminal under-appreciation for her. Remake Tifa is a goddess! Her voice actor is great, which definitely helps. Her empathy, compassion, and generosity are showcased really well in lots of scenes, but she’s still such a badass! I love how she’s always the one to catch Cloud when he’s falling off of something, but my absolute favourite moment is when she steps out of the mist to offer Aerith her hand, “we found you”/”I guess you did..” Had me clutching my chest.

+ The immediate friendship between the girls is sooooo nice compared to the competition they pose for each other in the OG. Even as early as the sewers, when they’ve only just met. Maybe it’ll come later, but I kinda don’t even feel like Tifa expresses all that much romantic interest in Cloud. She’s not jealous of Aerith, and while it’s clear she worries about him and cares what he thinks, she’s certainly not hopelessly in love with him… At least not yet.

+ Voice actors did a better job than I expected tbh. Some awkward attempts to mimic Japanese vocalisations, but that’s always a problem with anime dubs. Hojo’s last scream of laughter really solidified the ‘crazy scientist’ bit. Barret was way funnier and less cringey than I thought he’d be. Marlene is cute as a button! Aerith is a bit high and breathy, but the pitch actually makes her probably the easiest to understand since the background music always seems a bit too loud when they’re talking. Cloud, Barret, but especially Sephiroth, I really struggled in parts to understand. I think Sephiroth was even murmuring things in that final battle, probably just related to his special attacks since all important dialogue had subtitles, but I’m sure I could hear his voice but could understand literally nothing!

+ Music and graphics, obvs. Man, everyone and everything is just so dang pretty!

Didn’t like, or maybe just didn’t understand?

- Sephiroth. I employed some real mental gymnastics to explain to myself what I was seeing, and I mostly succeeded until the very end. Okay, so like, his first appearances I rationalised as being PTSD hallucinations or something. Also, in a real-world sense, I read somewhere that the OG director used the movie Jaws as inspiration for how they introduce him slowly, showing only the destruction he leaves behind to create tension, but it’s 20 years later and he’s an icon in video game and anime culture, they can’t play the same tricks and expect the same result. This game only features the initial Midgar part of the story which he wasn’t originally featured in, so gotta find a way to give the fans some service. Alright, that makes sense, I can accept that.

But then it became clear he’s using the clones to actually communicate with Cloud…. huh. Well, okay, I guess there’s no reason why he couldn’t have always been able to do that. He’s much more interested in Cloud than I think he should be at this point, but if he’s trying to organise Reunion, and I suppose Cloud is the only one resisting, I can make it work: if he’s aware of the clones, then he’s aware of Cloud. It makes no less sense that he’s always been able to connect with them, than him suddenly being able to out of nowhere or only deciding to start at a plot-convenient moment. I always assumed it was Cloud’s proximity to Jenova that triggered the whole series of events in Shinra Tower. That she, and by extension Sephiroth, “wake up” while he’s there. But if Sephiroth has actually been conscious the entire time, maybe Cloud just showed him exactly where to find her, so he’s coming to get her. It’s complicated, but I think I follow.

I don’t know why he’s on the other side of the Destiny storm, though. Really, why was he even there? Is he working with or against the Whispers? And I can’t make sense of his invitation for Cloud to join him. Join him in what? Reunion, still? Sephiroth’s OG plan can benefit only Sephiroth, so what is he even offering? I’m going to have to play it again and pay closer attention to what he says. I did like Aerith standing up to him. One of my favourite OG lines, “the future isn’t just yours!” is reflected nicely. Also, “screw him!”

- Roche. Whyyy? Track record for inventing new SOLDIERs isn’t good, just leave it alone!

- Biggs lives. So, we only witness him waking up after everything has gone down, which is why I reacted differently to his survival than Wedge’s. Basically, it doesn’t make sense. First of all, physically, for him to have survived all that fire and falling. Secondly, it seems to contradict what we know about the Whispers: they interfere when the characters are at risk of taking a path they don’t want, ie. different from OG storyline. Why wouldn’t they have done something? If they’re powerful enough to revive Barret because “it wasn’t his time”, and injure Jessie so Cloud has to join the Reactor 5 bombing mission, surely they could quietly kill off somebody who is “supposed” to die, especially if he’s already most of the way there. So then it’s really Wedge they should have killed off! He’s where the chain begins: I assume he’s the one who finds Biggs and brings him back to Elmyra, since Biggs never would have known who she was, and Wedge only knows after surviving the plate fall. Does having defeated the Harbinger Whisper mean that not only future changes are possible, but past? Anyway, it’s all a bit convoluted, and tbh feels a bit cheap, too. Why not bring back Jessie, while we’re at it? Their OG deaths had a motivational impact on Barret and co., and also drives home the evil of Shinra for the player, who might not have cared that much about unnamed deaths, however plentiful. It makes the plate fall a more personal tragedy, since we’ve spent time with these characters.

- Low-key disappointed I didn’t get to see Avalanche’s secret hideout underneath Seventh Heaven.. But at least I got to play some darts.