#wolf of nibelheim

[protemporescitor]

"Um Ackchyually…"

Rant incoming. Gird your loins.

It's like every time Cloud does anything even remotely cool-looking, someone in the fandom will invariably go "um achshyelly he can't be doing kewl stuff because you see he's actually a massive dweeb and…"

Every goddamn time, like clockwork. I swear, it's become a kind of mass neurosis for the fandom at this point.

I'm sorry, but "Oh he's just some try-hard dweeb" is such a paltry reading of this character, one that only furthers my belief that this fandom is mentally unequipped to parse any real kind of psychological complexity.

Yes, he can be unsubtle, envious, socially awkward, even dorky at times. That's part of the character's appeal. His extremely human frailties in that regard are what make him such an endearing and interesting (dare I say relatable?) character. He's also the man who ended the world's greatest soldier, so what does that say about his critics, the fans who believe he's just some feckless dork while ignoring that side of him entirely?

Now, lest you think I'm just headcanoning the character this way and talking nonsense, here's a quote from Yoshinori Kitase himself: "He isn't a straightforward hero like Superman; rather, he has lots of mysteries, self-doubts, and a real dark side."

What truly grinds my gears is the smug, gratingly knowing insinuation that portraying Cloud as a badass is somehow "wrong", or naïve characterization at best. and that only works which portray him some other way (awkward, goofy, insecure, etc…) are showing you the "real" character. And that, to me, is just nonsense.

Here's another example:

Same character, two different aesthetics, with different traits being emphasized. Both depictions are considered canon.

So the real question is, why does it have to be one or the other? Why is it so hard for people to reconcile the two?

I sometimes think we're in need of two separate fandoms, one for fans who want to Cloud continue to grow and develop as a character (like me), and the fans who just want him to remain the same awkward, insecure boy forever, i.e. people who prefer cartoon FFVII, and those who care about mythology and prefer to look at the story as a kind of bildungsroman. In any case, there's a reason why I keep underlining the darker, more feral side of this character, even to the point of over-emphasis, because it's at risk of falling prey to a fandom pseudo-narrative that simply rings hollow. Remember, his proper animal motif is that of a wolf, and that "cloud", as a verb, means "to darken, to obscure".

(Not just any wolf, by the way. The wolf.)

Lastly, I get the distinct feeling that we don't mean the same thing by "cool". Presumably, by "cool", some of you mean "cold and uncaring", which he is not. (Or possibly suave, depending on your definition.) The other is more a question of aesthetic cool on the one hand and valour on the other, both of which he possesses in spades. Cloud keeps taking on fights he shouldn't win, and yet often comes out on top, anyway, usually while pulling one insanely cool-looking stunt or another (e.g. the Shinra building escape, or putting a stop to Sephiroth's plans even without SOLDIER enhancements.)

It doesn't matter how much dorky nonsense the world tries to put him through; he'll always remain effortlessly cool in that regard.

While I've got your attention, I want to bring up one more thing related to mischaracterization (or rather, misperception): Aerith's temperament in Advent Children, specifically the idea that she's lost her original characterization and is just being depicted as some simplistic, incorruptible pure pureness (tm) messiah figure. Again, I don't think that's right. (It might be true for Kingdom Hearts, but tbh I never cared much for that series, so I'll refrain from further comment.) It's a long-running bit of accepted wisdom which, as far as I can tell, has no basis in reality.

The truth is, Advent Children's brief running time means there isn't a whole lot of opportunity for Square to focus on character building, but I contend that both Cloud and Aerith's original characterization is intact, just handled in a more subtle way. Note her comportment in scenes like the one above. She still evinces the same kind of playfulness as she did when she was among the living. For example, when Cloud tells her that he wants to be forgiven, her reaction is to ask "By whom?" in her usual, cheeky manner. She's still subtly poking fun at Cloud's tendency to take himself too seriously, while hinting at the fact that she doesn't blame him for her death. Or later, when she tells Zack "I don't want a kid that big!" She's still very much cracking wise, even in the Lifestream.

If she comes across as more ethereal than she did in the original story, well, that's because she is. Given that she's now in the afterlife, being that scrappy, streetwise flower girl from the slums is obviously less of a concern for her, at least as far as actual, physical scraps are concerned. But it's clear that her original personality is very much intact.

The same is true of Cloud and fans who grouse that he's being "emo"* in Advent Children, which is equally false. (*Lord help me but I detest that word. Being emo is when you're moping about listening to MCR after your girlfriend broke up with you, not dealing with the shattered pieces of your life and mourning the deaths of two of your closest friends. To call that "emo" is insulting to the character and narrative alike. In fact, it's an insult to language itself. If you care about good writing at all, I implore you to let this dreary, monosyllabic pustule of a word wither away and die in favour of more literate, meaningful descriptors.) He might be far more world-weary and disillusioned at this stage, but he still show various shades of mood (gentle, furious, defiant, haughty, protective, uncertain, disdainful, imperious, even cocky, much like OG FFVII):

Lastly, griping about this also denies character development and growth commensurate with where both of them are at this point in the story. During the events of the original FFVII, Cloud is still boyish and uncertain much of the time, whereas by the time Advent Children rolls around, he is older and tempered by experience. The same goes for Aerith. Same essential character, just acting according to her newfound circumstances.

I think that's it for now. I leave this rant here in the vain hope that somebody has something more interesting to say than "lawl emo chocobo-head boi!!!" for the millionth time.

I won't hold my breath, but it would be nice to be proven wrong for a change.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Life finds a way? No.

Strife finds a way. :)

 

 

(This is absolutely about Cloud being able to handle damn near anything with the tenacity of a Nibel Wolf and squirmy-cleverness of a baby chocobo that has — or thinks it has — been d e p r i v e d. Also, puns.)

Sephiroth: The enemy is down this hill. However, we cannot bypass it without a proper distraction to divert their attention.

Cloud: I'm way ahead of you.

Zack: Aw, yeah! Do you have some cool trick you learned in Nibelheim? Like a stealth move or some crazy sword technique? C'mon, Cloud, show us what you've got!

*Cloud calmly kicks Zack down the hill*

Sephiroth:

Cloud:

*Sephiroth nervously shuffles away*

[secondarysefikura]

Pre-Nibelheim, the favourite game of many a SOLDIER was the little known game of "what random, made up bullshit can we convince Zack Fair." Because as it turns out, so long as you say it with enough confidence, you can typically get Zack to believe just about anything for at least a short period of time.

Unbenosted to the SOLDIERs, it is Cloud Strife who is the ultimate king of the game as he has dedicated several minutes of his life to fucking with Zack after being laughed at about being from the middle of nowhere. With very little effort, Cloud has convinced Zack that:

He had never seen or drank water before coming to Midgar (people didn't believe in it in Nibelheim)

At the age of 5 children are expected to spend a month living in the mountains where they must tame a wolf. Failure to do so within a month will result in exile.

Chickens are illegal and anyone harbouring a chicken must be put to death.

[salternateunreality2]

Highlights of: Cloud was actually raised by wolves + Zakkura AU

TW: scary wolf pictures

from a conversation with the lovely @strayheartless

Angeal giving Zack the most bombastic side eye when Zack talks about Cloud's wolf traits.

He loves Zack so much because Zack GETS things.

Cloud lovingly chewing on Zack's shirt.

Zack accurately discerning what different grunts mean.

Cloud ducking his head to Zack and only Zack; in human, this is shy/flirty/awkward/cute/ashamed, in wolf it's respect.

Cloud's hair bristling. How he does this is anyone's guess.

Headbutts. So many headbutts.

Play fighting that looks completely vicious and feral to outsiders.

Cloud panting when he's nervous, so everyone thinks he's just hot all the time because he's from Nibelheim.

Cloud vibrating or sneezing when Zack walks up as a friendly move.

Cloud bopping people with his paws, er, gloved hands. He had to really concentrate and learn how to punch instead of bopping, but he's great at both now.

Cloud leaning on Zack instead of hugging him.

Sefikura's first meeting being extremely quiet and tense, but eventually they come to an understanding.

Zakkura's first kiss... They both lean in close, stars in their eyes....and Cloud licks Zack's teeth.

Angeal finding Zakkura sleeping in the cutest puppy pile ever.

Cloud sleeping with his limbs all twisted together or curled up into a tiny ball.

Cloud watching Zack eat fries out of the corner of his eye. Zack watching Cloud eat chicken the same way. Both of them instantly caving and sharing.

Cloud being a good Nibel boy and not wanting to come inside if there's even a hint of snow outside, and Zack being the "shorts, no shirt, all weather" frat boy.

Cloud being an escape artist and dragging Zack with him.

Lots of bite marks on people who try to steal Cloud's food.

Very shiny and sharp teeth.

These interactions:

Heidegger: look at me when I'm talking to you, cadet!!!

Cloud: 👁️👁️

Zack: shit shit shit shit shit *running across the room to de-escalate*

---------

Genesis: it seems your friend is friendly with me, he hasn't made a single growl at me! I can see his eye so clearly! And his posture is great!

Zack: SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT

Cloud: 0.3 seconds away from biting

---------

Siren: wooooooo

Cloud: *looks uncomfortable*

Siren: wooooooo

Angeal: don't do it, I believe in you!

Cloud: *sweating*

Siren: wooooooo

Cloud: WOOOOOOOOO

Zack: WOOOOOOOO

Angeal: *sigh* maybe next time

-----------

Roche: your boyfriend has a cute smile

Zack: excuse me what

Roche: look, there he goes again!

Cloud: *baring teeth*

Zack: shit shit shit...

----------------

Angeal, Zack, and Cloud standing around a campfire, and...

Zack: ...

Angeal: ...

Cloud: ....

Zack: we should go pee in a perimeter to scare off wild animals and monsters

Cloud: *nodding*

Angeal: ...

Zack: *unzzzzziiippp*

Cloud: *starts wandering towards the perimeter*

Angeal: *finally stops buffering* WAIT NO

[rocketbirdie]

You know dæmons? Like, Phillip Pullman, physical manifestation of your soul, you-but-an-animal-and-also-next-to-you dæmons?

What kinda dæmon do you think Zack would have. Obvious answer is a wolf/canine but I feel like that’s so overdone. But also I can’t think of anything more fitting for him post-labs. Maybe a jaguar? Something jungle, feral. Big. Idk, what do you think?

(Cloud’s dæmon would be a bobcat methinks. Reeve’s dæmon is just Cait Sith)

I'd never heard of it before so I had to look it up! Curious question... are there any rules against having a human as a dæmon?

Because if not, consider this: Zack and Cloud being each other's dæmons post-Nibelheim, due to Hojo's experiments. Humans are animals too, after all 👀

[dark-elf-writes]

Ok so Hojo half sibling au what happens when cloud tells mama Strife about his new brother?

Cloud didn’t call often.

It was a sad truth that Claudia had learned to live with. Long distance calls were expensive, and a trooper’s salary only went so far. She certainly couldn’t afford to call as often as she liked even as the closest thing to a medical professional in Nibelheim (the others in the village only came to her as a last resort, like she was something tainted. A witch of old waiting to swoop down and steal their souls. It didn’t matter she had been seventeen when she got pregnant with her son. Didn’t matter that she had been an intern and scared of losing her job. Didn’t matter that she had lost her job anyway and become the village pariah all at once.) Still they wrote often enough that it dulled the worst of the ache in her chest when she looked to her son’s empty bed, still waiting for him should he come home.

So it was a surprise when her rarely used landline rang with no mention in Cloud’s most recent letter that he was calling.

First came the dread. The terror that those monsters she had let her son go to wouldn’t even grace her with a face to face discussion to tell her the worst had happened. But Claudia Strife had always been stubborn.

“Mama?” Cloud’s voice was strained when she picked up the phone, like it always sounded when he was trying to pretend everything was okay. “How are you?”

“I’ll be better when my son tells me what is going on. You never call out of the blue, Stormcloud. Are you okay? Were you hurt? Did those basta—“

“Ma. Mama! I’m fine!” Cloud huffed a quiet laugh. “It’s good news, really it’s just. A lot, ma. I don’t know where to start.”

“If you got some girl pregnant, Cloud.”

There was a laugh on the other end of the line, too deep to be her son’s. Oh. Oh.

(Suddenly Cloud’s childhood fixation on the shining stars of Shinra’s SOLDIER program made a lot of sense… and why her sweet boy wouldn’t act on those feelings until he had left their home far behind. Nibelheim was anything but open minded.)

“Cloud, are you—“

“I have a brother!”

A paragon of tact, her son was not.

Claudia pulled the towel from her shoulder and dropped it to the counter as she leaned back on it for support. How many other bright eyed girls had been ruined like she had? How many experiments ran on the most vulnerable? How many—

“Ma? Ma are you there?! Ma!”

“Here, baby. I’m here. In that who’s with you? Your brother?”

Cloud sighed. “Yeah and he promised to be quiet.” The last word was hissed in a tone so familiar that Claudia couldn’t help but laugh. She could almost see the narrow eyed look of annoyance her baby was shooting his half-brother.

“It’s a bit hard for us to meet if he’s quiet, Stormcloud.”

“Yeah, well, that’s not all.”

“Oh?”

“We… allegedly and completely unable to be proven... might have committed some slight arson.”

“Cloud Strife.”

“It was allegedly against our… fuck, I don’t know what to call him. No way it’s going to be ‘father.’”

“Donor perhaps?” That voice offered again. Familiar in a way she couldn’t place.

“… Good boys.”

That deeper voice from before choked. Claudia could hear the smug satisfaction in Cloud’s voice when he spoke again. “There’s more still.”

Claudia laughed almost hysterically. “If you’ve allegedly committed mur—“

“Sephiroth is my brother!”

Everything in Claudia froze.

Sephiroth.

Shinra’s Silver General.

The boy who had been dropped into the middle of a war and come out a blooded hero. A child made into a killer too young.

The perfect experiment.

She wanted to throw up. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry.

Instead she forced a smile with no kindness. No gentleness. A mother wolf baring her teeth. “I’m coming to Midgar.”

“Ma!”

“I have enough saved up for this, Stormcloud. I need to see my sons.”

“Sons?” Sephiroth’s voice was carefully neutral. A brilliant mask that would have fooled the world. A mask that did nothing against a mother’s intuition. (Under that careful calm Claudia could hear the tremble of a child, alone and scared even now that he had grown larger than life. A little boy who desperately wanted to be loved. It only made her more certain of her choice.)

“Sons,” She confirmed. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Cloud sputtered. “At least let me buy your ticket ma! I’m a SOLDIER now! They gave me a sign on bonus.”

“I know Shinra bonuses as well as you do, young man. Save it for yourself.”

“Then let me pay,” Sephiroth offered. “Firsts make far more than new recruits and I can hardly allow my… allow you to be put in a difficult position, Ms. Strife.”

“Claudia or mom, or ‘ma’ I suppose if you’re impatient like our little stormcloud.” Claudia was rewarded with a flustered squawk of ‘Ma’ from her son… her youngest son. She smiled even through the ache in her chest. “And no, Sephiroth dear, you don’t need to spend money on me. It’s your money to use for yourself, sweetheart. Now I need to pack, boys! I’ll call when I have a set date of arrival!”

“Ma!”

“M— Claudia, I must insist—“

Claudia hung up the phone before they could try to push further about paying. This had to be her choice. Had to be her money. Had to be her doing. After all, they had confirmed it. Hojo was in Midgar, and Claudia was allegedly going to greet him as she should have all those years ago. With her boot knife to his throat and the assurance of exactly what she would do to him if he touched her boys.

Maybe she should take a look at some of those old files in the Manor before she left. Hojo was always a squirrelly bastard. It would be just like him to stash away some of his previous findings in the labs deep underground and she would bet her life that the information on Sephiroth’s past would be down there too along with gods only knew what other demons lurked in Hojo’s past.

[demigod-of-the-agni]

Pray ardently, my empty puppet; Among brothers you roam, the black sheep.

• • •

lore, variants and ID under the cut !!

what is the significance of the snakes? no idea. i probably drew them badly, too.

but hinduism claims snakes represent life, death and rebirth; northeastern indian cultures consider snakes and serpentine dragons to be symbols of good luck and fortune, and protectors of water sources; and funnily enough, the sanskrit word "naga" has often been used to refer to snakes, serpentine demigods, and, very very rarely, clouds.

and maybe this is a long-winded way of saying desi!Cloud finds himself leaning towards the serpents in his journey for self-forgiveness and recovery, much like how AC Cloud is often paired with Fenrir and the wolf motif.

if i were to really follow through with desi!Cloud and the snake motif, then it almost makes sense to have desi!Sephiroth be attributed to birds, maybe specifically the garuda, not because of the wings but because most indian cultures consider snakes and birds to be enemies. Nagas and snakes were thought to reside within the underworld (and the original Nibelheim is the land of the dead); and birds, specifically eagles and the garuda, have been associated with the gods, which ties into Sephiroth pursuing godhood for most of the game.

And that little tidbit of snakes being protectors of water sources? hmm. I can see Cloud regularly visiting Aerith, him as the guardian of her grave and her gift to the world.

so. yeah, I have no idea what the purpose of snakes are in this picture. Cloud bound by fate? holding himself back from forgiveness, from growth? hmm. much to think about it

START ID: A piece focused on Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy 7, who stands in the centre of the image. A black backdrop, with green wisps and tessellating textures over it. Cloud stands in front, hands clasps in prayer, similar to Aerith Gainsborough's iconic prayer pose; he is staring at the viewers with an absent gaze. He is awash with green light, his right eye is glowing an eerie shade of green and has a vertical slit pupil, and the left side of his face is covered in blood. His SOLDIER uniform has south Asian influences, notably in the design of the pauldrons, arm guards and belt. Wrapping around his head and neck is a snake, which rears its head over his hair and covers Cloud's left eye with its coils. Around his clasped hands is another snake, looping around his wrists like rope. Around Cloud in the foreground are small, tiny green sparks, floating aimlessly to the side. The overall piece radiates a foreboding, desolate atmosphere. /END ID.

[izunias-meme-hole]

Far from the most divisive character in the FF7 fandom due to more people liking him than hating him, but definitely the one that went through the most radical changes accidentally while his background was explored.

Like he was a jerk with a heart of gold in the OG, kinda like how Cloud was and honestly just existed to explain why Cloud was the way he was, outside of Nibelheim of course. Like he's not bland, he's still a well written character that serves his purpose, but he's not the center piece and doesn't need to be the centerpiece.

Then Crisis Core gives his younger self the energy of a sunshine puppy to contrast with the fact that he's butchering people for a capitalist regime, but somewhere along the way (After Modeoheim) elements of his OG character were kinda left behind while he's given a slight Sueification. The hints of SOLDIER apologia in CC didn't help either. Yet somehow his story is still functionally written enough.

And finally we have the Remake continuity which is a blend between the two characterizations and honestly it's closer to how he should've been in CC after the life-changing scenarios, but we barely get enough time with him to truly get everything.

So that's 3 takes on Mr. Fair, and honestly while shit clearly went off the rails in CC it's a surprise how this look at how Zack was in the beginning kinda changed the perception of his character. Honestly I definitely would've loved to see a smoother version of this "indoctrinated and blood covered young lad" to "a used bitter wolf with a heart of gold and blood he can't wash off who happens to be running on pure fumes" arc from the start when CC came out because IMO as an arc it DOES work for Zack.

[accala]

Zack & Cloud: A Connection that Transcends Death

I don't think Cloud was as close to Zack compared to Kunsel, Cissnei, or even Sephiroth. Cloud was an infantry trooper while Zack was a SOLDIER. Even in Crisis Core, it's implied that they don't interact that much (with how Cloud was surprised that Zack even remembered his name).

And how could they? Shinra was running Zack ragged as one of the few First-Class left, treating him as a threat at the same time (Zack who also had a lot of baggage after Modeoheim and a few months after that, having to bury two friends in Before Crisis). And Cloud was an infantryman considered as canon fodder despite his untapped potential—potential remaining unseen because Shinra couldn't care any less. Cloud couldn't even close the gap between their rankings. Both stuck in positions that the company boxed them, not allowing for any reprieve.

And yet, despite all of that, Zack formed a deep connection with Cloud, more so after the Nibelheim incident. Only one can wonder what happened during those 4 years under Shinra mansion. But I imagine Cloud was not coherent during that duration due to his Mako sensitivity. Nor do I think they could have talked in-between experiments that often (due to the Mako tanks).

And. Yet. Zack. Formed. A. Deep. Connection. With. Cloud.

To the point that he decided to lug his acquaintance, a comatose trooper, all the way to Midgar, taking a higher risk of getting caught. He fed him, took care of him, protected him. Grew protective of him. Died for him. Gave his hopes and dreams to him.

In turn, Cloud’s persona was intertwined with Zack’s. Although this persona was mostly his idealized version of SOLDIER, he inherited Zack’s mannerisms and plans to be a mercenary. Even in death, Zack is shown through Cloud by being a living breathing legacy. A testament to Zack’s existence. (Although identity theft is not what he meant Cloud)

Maybe, in hindsight, it was the shared trauma and experience they both endured that caused this attachment. Maybe Zack needed to latch onto someone, in the wake of an accumulation of loss due to multiple deaths and confusion left by Shinra. Maybe Zack’s sacrifice was simply the right thing to do—an altruistic reason that fits his character’s resolve.

But these alone can’t simply explain the certainty Zack had for Cloud up on the Edge, to live on and carry his dreams for him. Nor does it explain Zack’s loyalty beyond death — his choice to stay as a separate entity, albeit in fragments, from the lifestream for 2 years (leading up to Advent Children); him manifesting as a wolf to help Cloud through his grief; and his presence at Cloud’s side during his battle with Sephiroth.

And isn't that astounding? A SOLDIER and an infantryman who weren’t even close, forming a connection that transcends even death.

[outfoxedashes]

Note: Fic reboot, placeholder post. Watch this space.

Ashes of Empires - Clerith Edition

We wonder, and some Hunter may express wonder like ours, when thro' the wilderness where London stood, holding the Wolf in chase, he meets some fragment huge, and stops to guess what powerful but unrecorded race once dwelt in that annihilated place.

—Horace Smith, 'Ozymandias'

Chapter 1 In the Wilderness

And in a single moment, it was done. The Lifestream receded, and the last of the light faded from the sky. The great calamity that had threatened their world was no more, vanishing in one last, blinding burst of energy, leaving only a shower of particles in its wake, drifting through the night sky. Where there had been chaos mere moments before, silence now reigned. The Avalanche members gathered on the Highwind's bridge looked to one another, half in disbelief, as they realised the significance of what they had just witnessed. It was over. Their long struggle had finally ended.

In the days that followed, they occupied themselves with aiding the survivors of the Meteorfall incident, joining in the rescue operations taking place throughout the remains of the once-great city of Midgar. Then came the reconstruction, during which time due remembrance of the fallen was given, followed by a celebration of their victory and survival.

Then, little by little, their various obligations forced them to return to their prior lives. Despite great reluctance on everyone's part to disband the group, they all knew that this eventuality could not be delayed forever. In the end, they went their separate ways. And the world kept on turning.

But the roots of their struggle ran far deeper than any of them ever suspected...

A year had lapsed, and most members of the old Avalanche crew had settled down, easing into the roles required of them, with some adjusting to the changes better than others, as a new world emerged from the ashes of the old one.

Despite his initial reservations, Vincent Valentine had elected to return to Nibelheim to retake the old Shinra manor. At the outset of his venture, he had questioned whether this task was worth undertaking at all, whether it was even a good idea to return here, to the birthplace of so many nightmares for himself and the world alike. In the end, he deemed his mission unavoidable, an unfinished duty that fell to him alone. There was no telling what horrors the late Hojo had left in his wake. And thus he set about cleansing the old manor house, stamping out the last traces of his tormentor's deranged experiments.

The days following his arrival were spent purging the manor of its lingering wraiths, a cathartic enterprise, and one that kept his mind busy; a literal approach to exorcising his demons, figurative and real alike. He took care to be thorough, scouring the infamous manor of its roving abominations until not a single one remained. With his reckoning completed and his new lodgings thus secured, he began to delve into the basement laboratory's voluminous library, sifting through its scientific collectanea, more for the sake of satisfying his own curiosity than any practical concerns.

And so he gradually began to settle down in the old Shinra manor, having made it habitable once more. The countryside's seclusion suited him. The mansion was not so remote from human civilization that it made acquiring provisions difficult, but still far enough removed that few visitors troubled him. Shortly before his own arrival, a group of displaced people from the eastern continent had come across the facsimile of old Nibelheim, now abandoned, and resettled the ghost town. The new inhabitants quickly made the town their own, to live and work in, with little idea of its sordid past. They kept away from the brooding mansion at the edge of town, paying no heed to the solitary figure that could sometimes be glimpsed watching over the town from the upstairs window. Few concerned themselves with who lived there, if anyone, and most were simply too preoccupied with their own lives to care. Observing life continuing in this manner, Vincent reflected upon how quickly the world forgot. Perhaps, he thought, it was for the better.

Then, late one night, near the end of the fall, he found himself roused from his state of torpor by a heavy knocking at the door, as that of someone beating against it with the last of their strength. He set aside the heavy tome resting in his lap and got up from his chair to see who it was. Shifting back the heavy door, he was surprised to find Tifa Lockheart standing outside in the torrential rain, shivering from the autumn cold, looking tired and forlorn, her eyes red and swollen. She spoke up before he had a chance to ask what she was doing out there all by herself, the question half-formed on his lips as she struggled to speak in between laboured breaths.

"He's gone."

There was no need for her to explain further. He knew who she meant. He wrenched the double doors open, urging her to come in from the rain. She took half a step before faltering. He caught her, enfolding her in his arms as she wept, her body half-hidden by his thick cloak.

He served the two of them supper, a quiet and somewhat awkward affair, given how unused he was to having company. They exchanged few words, though the look on Tifa's face told him she was grateful for his hospitality.

Once their meal was concluded, he urged her to rest, after what had no doubt been a harrowing journey. He fashioned her with a comfortable bed in one of the guest bedrooms, and it was not long before she was asleep, drifting off to the sound of rain beating against the glass.

These things were, he knew, mere salve for her trials and tribulations. With little else to do, he pondered the cause of her distress. She and Cloud had parted ways. The exact nature of their falling out eluded him, though it was not hard to guess that it had been a bitter one. It was difficult for him to understand how the two of them had failed to find happiness together after their victory over Sephiroth and Jenova. He had watched from a distance as their relationship slowly disintegrated, as what seemed a foregone conclusion never came together the way everyone expected it would.

Her anguish, Vincent realised, was not merely the result of her own frustrated desires, but the way in which she remained powerless to stop her childhood friend from sabotaging himself out of misguided guilt. From his vantage point as an outsider, their relationship always seemed a case of 'too little, too late'. Perhaps it was never meant to be, he thought. But that did not make their parting any easier.

He stood in the doorway, watching over Tifa as she slumbered,

tracing the delicate outline of her face by the warm glow of the flickering candlelight, wishing there was something more he could do.

Cloud Strife marched on through the snow field, a solitary figure passing through the wintry desolation of the frozen north. He drew up the collar of his shirt, covering the lower half of his face to guard against the bitter wind and heavy snowfall as they threatened to coalesce into a full-fledged blizzard. Deviating from his current path, he pressed on, seeking shelter in the nearby forest as the weather grew more severe.

The wind died away, little by little, as he passed between the thick columns of birch and oak, ancient titans older than man, towering over the winter landscape, casting long shadows. Reaching the first visible clearing, he pulled his collar down again, inhaling the cool, crisp air, now that he was out of the worst of the storm, no longer assailed by cold blasts of wind that threatened to snatch one's breath away.

As he moved towards the centre of the glade, he became aware of some unseen multitude mobilising in the shadows, stalking him. He could hear the faint sounds of branches being trampled, the nearly imperceptible patter of footsteps in the snow. Then, a low howling as his pursuers drew near. He turned to see a large grey wolf emerging from behind the trees. Then another. A third. Before long, the whole pack had revealed itself. Glancing from one side of the clearing to the other only confirmed his suspicion; he was surrounded, caught in their ambush.

The wolves stood their ground, encircling him, cutting off every possible escape route. They observed the human in their midst with a guarded demeanour, as though waiting for something. Cloud realised his error. He was trespassing on their territory, and the wolves, clearly angered by such a brazen violation of the sanctity of their domain, had rallied against him, though it was not clear whether they intended him harm, or if they were simply trying to scare off the intruder that had wandered into their sanctum. Adopting a defensive stance, he slowly reached for his blade, drawing it a few inches from its sheath, while holding up his free hand in a propitiatory gesture, hoping to communicate to them that he meant no disrespect, and that he merely wished to pass through.

"Easy.."

His eyes darted from one wolf to the next, regarding each in turn, watching for signs of movement as he backed away, taking slow, tentative steps towards the edge of the clearing. The wolves crouched low, bending their ears back even as they bared their teeth, their expressions a blend of aggression and fear. It was doubtful that they encountered many humans, being so far removed from any of their settlements, and their behaviour betrayed an uncertainty of whether to attack the unwelcome visitor or let him go.

Though they remained tense, their growling began to quiet down as he moved away from the clearing, watching them carefully as he retreated. Before he had made it halfway from the centre, however, an old wolf, the alpha male of the pack, emerged from the shadows. The wolf, a prideful and great brute, whose scarred visage spoke of untold trials faced during the years of guiding and protecting its pack, fixed the human interloper with a murderous gaze. It snarled at him, its anger provoking the other wolves out of their state of hesitation. They began to bark and howl, as well, their clamour rising in a gradual crescendo as they worked themselves into a hunting frenzy.

Cloud froze in place, turning as the alpha wolf charged at him. He drew, dodged, and cut, all in a single, practised motion as the wolf leapt up at him. The tip of his blade cleaved the side of the wolf's torso, and the great beast fell heavy to the ground. Staggered, he held his blade up, hands trembling from the lingering reverberation of the blow. He drew a terse breath as he looked to the other wolves, who remained in place, watching the confrontation with dismay, uncertain of whether to fight or flee. For a long moment, neither he nor they made any move, as if waiting to see whose nerve would give out first.

Their stand-off was interrupted by a low growl, coming from the twitching body of the head wolf. Cloud looked over his shoulder to see the beast, which he had assumed dead, slowly rising back to its feet, all but ignoring the fatal wound he had dealt it. The great wolf shook with pain and rage, its unchecked, maniacal fury twisting its face into a demoniac mask.

Before he knew what was happening, the wolf charged him a second time, bounding through the snow with alarming speed. Bracing himself, he swung again as it jumped up. This time, however, he missed, and the wolf came down hard, overpowering him with its bulk, forcing the sword from his hand as it drove him down to the ground. His head smashed against the cold earth, the force of the impact leaving his ears ringing and his vision blurred.

In his hazy mental state, he was vaguely aware of the other wolves closing in, galvanised by their leader's charge. They circled the two combatants, howling and chanting, spurring on the monstrous, frantic thing towering over him. He shook off his disorientation, dodging in time to avoid a fatal bite. His aggressor, however, gave no quarter, pinning him to the forest floor as it continued its relentless attack. Cloud seized the frenzied beast by the throat, holding the great wolf at bay as it snapped at him, aiming for his face and neck with its powerful jaws.

Searching for some way to counter the wolf's attacks, he spotted his blade lying in the snow, having slipped from his hands as he fell. He made to reach for it, but the wolf's erratic movements made it impossible for him to release his grip on its neck without risking letting it overpower him. He was left no other choice, however. The other wolves were drawing nearer still, and his assailant's attacks were growing more manic and unpredictable. The wolf simply would not let up, having been driven out of its mind by pain and anger, raging at him hysterically, with no care for its own safety, as though wishing to damn its mortal enemy with its dying breath.

With great effort, he managed to deflect the wolf's attacks, pushing its head to the side with one hand, freeing up the other to reach for his weapon. He extended his arm as far as he could without losing his grip on the wolf, and his fingers brushed against the hilt, but it was too far away for him to take hold of it. The wolf, meanwhile, managed to break free from his hold and threatened to overwhelm him, forcing him to abandon his sword in the snow to hold it off with both hands again.

Frustrated, he gave up on trying to reclaim his weapon. There was only one option left to him, one that had slipped his mind in the sheer chaos of the moment. Still keeping his attacker at bay, he reached for the knife concealed underneath his loose sleeve, taking the hilt with an underhand grip. Tearing the knife free from its scabbard, he plunged the blade deep into the side of the wolf's neck.

To his surprise, the wolf, though temporarily fazed, continued to press, biting and snapping away in spite of the critical wound it had just received. Gritting his teeth, Cloud wrenched the knife back out, sending a spray of blood gushing from the laceration, before stabbing repeatedly against the wolf's head and neck, attacking wildly in order to stymie his enemy's onslaught.

The final blow struck the wolf's head, piercing its skull, but even this was not enough to discourage the enraged beast's aggression, though he had finally managed to force it to a temporary halt. He gripped the knife more firmly, forcing the blade deeper, inch by painful inch, while the wolf continued its attempts to sink its teeth into his flesh.

Despite the great beast's unnatural vigour, he could see the light in its eyes begin to fade, its mental faculties slowly degrading as the cold steel dug into its grey matter. The thing began to tremble, yet it fought on, even as the knife robbed it of its cognition and strength. The wolf's movements finally began to slow, however, its attacks reduced to an ineffectual gumming, and its roar faded to a pitiable whimper. It stared down at him with discoloured eyes, half-blind from the blood pooling beneath their surface. At last, the wolf surrendered its struggle. Its head sank down to the ground, and it lay there, unmoving, breathing its last.

Exhaling heavily, Cloud loosed the knife from the wolf's head again, rolling away the heavy carcass as he forced himself back to his feet. He snatched up his blade with his free hand, drawing a ragged breath as he watched the other wolves for their reaction, bracing himself for a second attack with his sword in one hand and the knife in the other. The great wolf's lifeblood dripped from the tip of the latter weapon, as well as his clothing and face, colouring the snow beneath a deep crimson. The rest of the pack watched him with newfound apprehension, remaining perfectly still, uncertain of what to do. None of them, it seemed, had suspected this outcome. They looked to one another for a moment before dispersing, vanishing into the woods as quickly as they had appeared, leaving him by himself in the clearing once again. Relaxing his guard at last, he breathed a sigh of relief.

A few moments later, he found himself kneeling at a small brook, the outlet of some subnivean stream further away, washing the rivulets of blood from his face with the freezing water. He then picked up a handful of snow from the ground, cleaning his weapons and clothing as best he could. As he worked, he felt something tugging at his pants leg, as if some small creature were nipping at his heels. Surprised, he turned and stood to see a wolf cub, no more than two months old. The cub, having got his attention, stared back up at him with earnest curiosity, panting and wagging its tail.

The cub had strayed from the rest of the pack by accident, it seemed. It appeared to be unaware of what had transpired only moments earlier, or it was possible that its curiosity about the strange visitor in the woods had overpowered its sense of danger. In either case, it continued to watch him with interest, yapping a couple of times, then tilting its head, its manner friendly and unassuming. Innocent.

Cloud looked back down at the whelp with a wistful expression on his face. No doubt killing the old wolf would leave the cub's pack more vulnerable to predation, and less able to fend for themselves in the harsh winter. Though it had done its best to take his own life, he couldn't help but feel a vague regret over slaying the great beast. He had been trespassing on their territory unknowingly, after all.

He knelt down, reaching out to touch the wolf cub's head, moving slowly to see if it would object. Seeing that it did not seem to mind, he stroked it briefly, patting its head. The pup responded favourably to the gesture, leaning into his touch, whimpering softly as he ran his hand over its lightly mottled coat.

"I'm sorry."

He looked up again as he heard a barking in the distance, emanating from the woods. The cub, too, turned its attention to the older wolf, perhaps its mother, watching the two of them from a nearby hillock clothed in thick firs. Cloud rose to his feet, growing alert again in anticipation of a second attack. The parent wolf merely stood there, however, waiting while the cub darted back to its side. It turned away, exchanging one last glance with the human invader, as if to bid him leave in peace. Their territory thus demarcated, the wolves departed for good.

Peering at his reflection in the water, Cloud noticed a thin scar, almost imperceptible, running down his cheek as a result of the earlier encounter. Such attacks, he knew, were uncommon, apt only to occur in the deep of the wilderness, far from any settlement, where the animals remained unaccustomed to human depredation. The whole affair was a lamentable one. But it would not do to dwell on such things for long, he reminded himself. Here was a world more savage, more primal, far removed from the pretensions of civil society. Such extreme isolation should have repelled him, as it did other people, who valued their security above all else, but to his surprise, he found that the solitude of the wild and its honest savagery suited him better than the clamorous cities of the world, where would have been no less ill at ease. Here, at least, there was no pretence of innocence. Only predators, prey, and the thin line dividing the former from the latter. And, as he had learned today, a moment's indiscretion could quickly change on which side of that line one stood.

With this in mind, he took off once more, bracing himself for the journey that lay ahead. The Northern Crater awaited him, and he had places to visit along the way, few of which were any more hospitable than his current whereabouts.

Yuffie Kisaragi slipped inside her room, having dismissed her bodyguard and retinue of servants for as long as she felt she could get away with without rousing suspicion. She slid the door shut, then seated herself on the floor in front of the small vanity situated near the entrance, adopting the customary posture for formal occasions purely out of habit, even though she was all by herself.

She stared at her reflection for a long moment. Nearly two years had passed since Avalanche's dissolution, and her transformation could not have been more radical, on the outside, at least. She no longer recognised the ghost in the mirror, this pale imitation of the energetic young girl who had travelled half-way across the world on her own, before joining up with the band of resistance fighters on a whim.

She had grown her hair out, painstakingly grooming and layering it, wearing it in the style of traditional Wutaian court fashion in an attempt to strike a more 'lady-like' figure, in accordance with her father's wishes. Her face, too, evinced a number of outward changes, caked as it was with heavy white make-up, coupled with subtle red and black accents around the eyes and a hint of blush applied to her cheeks. In all, she resembled a porcelain doll more than a human being, a model of perfect manner and grace, docile and restrained, nothing like her old self.

This change was not the result of coercion on her father's part, or anyone else's, for that matter. Despite her profound disdain for authority and tradition, she had forced herself to undertake this alteration as something she deemed necessary as part of Wutai's healing process. She understood that now that Shinra was gone, it was, as her father liked to remind her, a time of rebuilding, not of conflict, and that called for a different kind of sacrifice. She had known the day was coming when she had to 'grow up'; that was, to give up her natural inclination to eschew her duties towards her country in favour of running off to explore the far corners of the world. It was unavoidable. She simply had not expected it to come so soon.

Her refusal to accept this duty had played a large part in her running away from home the first time, along with her constant squabbling with her father over that very matter. But as much as she resisted the notion, she knew Godo was right. So she played her part, assuming her role as his aide and right hand on the council, suppressing her naturally effusive personality in order to blend in during their various political engagements inside and outside the country. Her new act was little more than a social mask, of course, worn for the same reason as her sudden change in dress and bearing. That's how it had begun, at least. Now, she was not so sure. That mask was getting to fit a little too well, she thought. A little too closely..

She shifted her position as she regarded the impostor staring back at her. Sitting in this manner had presented her with some difficulty when she first began to attend council meetings along with her father, being that she was nearly allergic to the stifling artifice demanded by such events, and had avoided them for the greater part of her life. As a result, she had never grown accustomed to displaying the decorum and grace that was, by tradition, expected of women of her lineage. In the beginning, she had harboured serious doubts about whether she would be able to master the discipline required to do so. She was not alone in her doubts, as evidenced by the surprised look on everyone's faces when she suddenly decided to set aside her transient and careless approach to life in order to participate in the court's political affairs. It was the first time that she had ever displayed, or, at any rate, feigned, any interest in such matters.

It was no secret, after all, that she preferred the freedom and excitement offered by the other side of her heritage. During her childhood, her father had tolerated her near-obsession with her ninjutsu training, reasoning that it was the only way that she would even sit still for what he viewed as her proper lessons. He had hoped that her enthusiasm for such unbecoming behaviour, as he termed it, would fade away in time, but, much to his growing consternation, her interest never waned. Indeed, it had only gotten worse when she first discovered materia and its various applications in combat. Before long, she had proven herself the foremost of her master's disciples, something that their pride forbade them to admit.

Similarly, the courtiers' doubts about her ability to adjust to court life had served to spur her on, igniting in her the same spirit of defiance that had driven her during her childhood, the only difference between then and now being the activities into which she channelled her energy. Much like before, she was motivated by the intent not to let anyone get the better of her. As exacting as the strictures of Wutai's high society could be, she would be damned if she let its members smugly affirm to themselves the worst that they thought of her by giving up.

Even so, making the requisite changes had been a great struggle for her. Having to partake in ancient rituals and ceremonies, and adopt old and obscure customs for their own sake, something for which she could find no purpose or rational justification other than vague appeals to 'tradition', went against her nature in every way possible. The temptation to say to hell with it all and simply run away again had been overwhelming, and several times she had come close to doing just that. She persevered, however, out of loyalty to her country, if nothing else. In time, the lessons from her childhood, the ones she had done her best to ignore and forget, had come back to her, little by little. By now, she had perfected the act, and had even come to believe it herself at times. She had proven her doubters wrong, deriving a sly satisfaction from doing so. But her little victory had come at a great cost, and she was starting to fear that if she did not break away from the masquerade soon, her true self would be subsumed by the false exterior which she had worked so hard to maintain.

In the end, the choice to undertake all of this effort had been hers, but after nearly two years of pretence, not to mention the hardships and restraint it demanded, she was beginning to question the wisdom of her decision. While it was true that her motherland had recovered to a great extent since Shinra's downfall, and that she had no doubt played an important role in that recovery, Wutai's society remained rigid and unchanging as ever, especially in regards to its implicit enforcement of gender roles and social order. Any attempt on her part to challenge the dominant patriarchy, whether from within or without, seemed destined to failure so long as she remained the only one to openly criticise the otherwise unquestioned conformity that allowed such conditions to persist, long after the rest of the world had done away with them.

It was heartbreaking, watching her country vanishing back into the past, rather than forging ahead towards the future, as she had hoped it would. She was sick of pretending in front of the endless cavalcade of vacuous ministers, politicians and dignitaries, whose only motives, as far as she could tell, were to preserve a retrograde social hierarchy that had long been engineered in their favour. If preserving tradition meant remaining stuck in the past, she wanted no more part in it. And as much as she wanted to help Wutai, she doubted that she could bear the burden much longer if it meant losing herself in the process.

She took another look at herself in the mirror. Her old self was indeed close to disappearing beneath her counterfeit exterior. Even her smile was no longer her own, more closely resembling a grimace than anything else. Breaking away from her reflection, she steeled herself mentally for what was to come next. Her mind was made up. All that was left was to follow through with the act itself.

She reached for a sheet of paper and a brush from the nearby desk, grinding a coarse block of ink into a bowl and mixing it with water before dipping the brush into the fresh mixture. Touching the tip of the brush against the smooth paper, she began to write.

"Dear father,

I'm leaving Wutai. I'd explain the reasons why, but I think we both already know.

With our old enemy removed, our greatest threats now come from within. Perhaps they always have. What Shinra did to us was criminal, but what we keep doing to ourselves may be even worse.

Our empire will be restored. Of this, I have no doubt. Wutai will flourish, with or without me. I see that now. I only wish it could mature sooner. I've tried doing things your way, because I thought I could help make that change from within. But the problem is greater than I could see. Greater than either of us. Things are changing, yes, but not quickly enough. I worry that we will be eternally trapped in the past if we continue to rely blindly upon tradition alone to guide us, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

You are not to blame in this. But I can't keep up this facade any longer. This is not who I am.

Don't look for me. I'm not coming back.

-Yuffie"

She composed her letter in finely-wrought calligraphic script, the end result of countless hours spent in cold classrooms during her childhood, labouring under the watchful eye of her unforgiving tutor, earning a sharp strike on the back of her hand for every malformed character and accidental slip of the brush. She tried her best not to wince as she thought of those times, concentrating instead solely on the act of writing. Once finished, she laid the brush aside, folding the letter and stamping it with the imperial seal.

Having left her message, she turned her attention to her physical appearance. She removed the hairpins and ornaments from her hair, loosening and unweaving the bun into which it had been tied, letting her long locks flow past her shoulders, extending nearly to the small of her back. Gathering them up in one hand, she took a knife from the drawer and pressed it up against them. Hesitating, she glanced up at her reflection for a moment before continuing, slicing through her locks with the sharp blade, breathing a sigh of relief as they came loose. She cast the severed strands aside, the slight regret she felt over discarding them after nearly two years of care and attention outweighed by her relief at having rid herself of such an encumbrance. She then proceeded to wipe away the heavy make-up from her face with a damp cloth, until at last some semblance of the person hidden underneath it all began to emerge.

Her transformative ritual completed, she slowly rose to her feet. Ducking behind the folding screens in the corner of the room, she quickly undressed, leaving her brocaded garments on the floor, before throwing her closet open and rummaging through it, piecing together an outfit by haphazardly picking out whatever clothes she could assemble in under a minute: Boots, stockings, shorts, a black camisole with a floral pattern, and a grey jacket. Thus attired, she knelt down in front of the wall behind the closet, sliding open the hidden compartment where she kept her old collection of weapons: throwing daggers, caltrops, materia, and her combat shuriken.

Unable to locate her old headband, she replaced it with a simpler one, tying it in a hachimaki as she headed for the window at the opposite side of the room. She paused in front of the mirror, trying on a different smile, now that she was free of her self-imposed restraints. Better, if not quite as luminous as her usual, carefree grin. But it would do for now.

As she pushed open the window, she stopped again for a moment, hesitating as the full weight of her decision occurred to her. This was no mere flippancy on her part. She was leaving her home for good, burning every bridge she had spent the last two years building here in the process. Knowing that her own reluctance was the only remaining threshold to be overcome, she was resolved not to abandon anything she might regret leaving behind. After this, there would be no turning back.

She looked over her bedroom one last time, taking in its sparse furnishings. A few hanging scrolls lined the walls, a simple paper lantern in the corner cast a dim glow amidst the shadows, and a small alcove held most of the trinkets she had deemed worth keeping around: folding fans, decorative carvings, and other keepsakes. Nothing out of the ordinary. A nearby shelf displayed an array of animal shapes wrought from folded paper, a hobby she had taken up in order to keep her hands busy and maintain her finger dexterity in lieu of sparring or open combat, neither of which she'd had much cause to engage in since her split with Avalanche.

One object caught her eye as she turned to climb out the window: an old scroll passed down from one generation to another, its inscription a reminder of her bloodline's heritage, drawn from the folk tales of her people:

'Child of Leviathan'

This, too, she would have to leave behind, abandoning the gilded cage for an uncertain future that held no promise of anything for her, save for a vague notion of freedom. In the end, however, she could think of little here that she would miss. There was no more time for second thoughts. She decided that if it was too heavy to carry with her, it wasn't worth worrying about.

Satisfied that she had everything she needed, she vaulted out onto the roof, easing back into the acrobatic bearing that she had all but suspended for the better part of two years. She leaned over the edge, enumerating the potential obstacles in her path, before leaping down to the ground with the aid of the branches of a nearby pine tree. Shouldering her backpack and pulling the hood up over her head, she took care not to be seen by the royal guards stationed around the outer perimeter of the Kisaragi mansion.

The sheer number of soldiers patrolling the area forced her to circle around the floating pavilion opposite the mansion, but eventually she got far enough away from the estate to feel safe to remove the hood once again. Reaching the marketplace, she did her best to blend in with the multitude, which swayed in every which direction, in an effort to escape the scorching heat of summer. Two years ago, she might have been concerned that someone would recognise her as she wandered about freely, but considering how little the outside world had seen of her since those days, there was hardly any for her to fear being called out by a stranger. By the time she had made her way into the bustling thoroughfare at the edge of town, she was just another face in the crowd.

[raphahsleon]

For some reason I ended up with a fox boy au

Somehow I think Sephiroth ended up generating that obsession with Cloud in some way, to the point that he clings to him like the relationship of the foxes.

In other words, fox couples only have one partner for their entire life... And unfortunately, Cloud has everything to lose.

Sephiroth is a nine-tailed fox, although for its large size, I had to use a maned wolf to have the divine long legs, specifically the entity that guards Wutai.

Cloud on the other hand, is the fox of Nibelheim, an entity that should protect the world, but was found and raised as a human (His eyes are like a cat due to his recent awakening/release from his fox side.)

I like this ship, when I can I will make some of its human form (warning about ears and tails).

[protemporescitor]

Fenrisúlfr

From the wiki: "In Norse mythology, Fenrir is a monstrous wolf. Fenrir is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, Fenrir is the father of the wolves Sköll and Hati Hróðvitnisson, and is a son of Loki."

"Upon the coming of Ragnarök, along with his sons devouring the moon and the sun, Fenrir is said to destroy the planet, his lower jaw reaching the earth, his upper jaw reaching the skies. It is foretold to kill the god Odin during Ragnarök, but will in turn be killed by Odin's son Víðarr."

"The name 'Fenrir' refers to the giant wolf 'Fenrisúlfr' in Norse mythology, who is bound by silk chains and is destined to devour Odin at Ragnarok. Fenrir is considered by many to be a hellhound due to his link to the guardian of Hel, Garmr. This leads to an interesting set of coincidences, as it means Cloud, represented by Fenrir, hails from Nibelheim, named for the land of the dead, where Odin is found in Final Fantasy VII."

"Cloud being represented by the hellhound who devours a god may be a deliberate distinction with Sephiroth, who wishes to achieve godhood, but is repeatedly defeated by Cloud. In another interesting coincidence, Cerberus, a hellhound of Greek mythology, shares its name with Vincent Valentine's gun."

[rottenpumpkin13]

You inspire so many new HCs that my brain shall one day break~

 

New HC(s):

Everyone has stickers they give Sephiroth at random times for random things because he deserves them.

Zack always puts one on his face. Sephiroth has gone through an entire meeting with a sparkly rainbow star on his forehead. (Zack is also responsible for the "no trying to sneak into Sephiroth's apartment to play 'Late Tooth Fairy But With Stickers' when he's sleeping" rule. He's responsible for several new rules in regards to sticker giving, tbh, but he maintains that that's part of the fun. He tactfully doesn't say how the deep sighs Angeal and Lazard give him for it are also part of the fun of it.)

Genesis gives Sephiroth's a laminated, wallet sized card full of empty square/box-like spaces, similar to that of a punch card, and when he's had all slots filled Sephiroth soon after finds candy mysteriously left on his desk. The candy type frequently changes, but he never receives one that he's disliked. If Sephiroth finds that he dislikes the newly tried candy that's been left on his desk, very mysteriously, then the next day he receives a replacement with something that he does like. (The first was a Banoran specialty sweet which narrowed down the list of suspects greatly. The fact that it was also 'sweet red apple' flavored narrowed it down even more so.)

Angeal mixes it up what he gives, but it's always something reminiscent of mostly normal childhood memories that Sephiroth should have had, like the rest of them*. Sephiroth receives a lot of little things that needed water to "come to life", including the occasional tiny plant. He finds them intriguing, as is evidence by his very feline-esque pupils growing as he watches the process entirely. It "sparks joy", as one would put it. (*Angeal maintains that Zack is also an outlier to most of this and they cannot account for the long favored Gongagan festivals' backwater game of 'Touch-Me Wrangling'.)

Cloud gets the gist of the whole sticker reward happenings, but it's not a Nibelheim thing so he's never actually experienced it either. Instead, Cloud gives Sephiroth what his childhood experiences were made of; practical things or cool things made with/gained by doing something practical/necessary. (He shyly explains this to Sephiroth when he offers him a handmade necklace with a Nibel Wolf fang from his own very first kill, mythril thread woven messily yet artfully around the leather cord. What Cloud doesn't explain is how deep the meanings of the first kill items are.)

+Lazard heard of what the boys are doing, the why of what the boys are doing and, well, he's nothing if not one who cares for his gremlins children Soldiers — even if that care is shown in the form of shouting and chasing the heathens them with a broom sometimes. Reward Stickers, thankfully, do not factor into any of those times. He sneaks little golden stars onto Post-Its attached to whatever papers he hands over to Sephiroth. When it seems like Sephiroth is having a bad day, Lazard makes a constellation around the star sticker. (He might not admit it, but seeing the little quirk of his lips when Sephiroth notices, a genuine smile or near enough if it, is held as a very special sight to him.)

Oh this fills my heart with joy 🥺💚 makes me think this conversation would go down though:

Hojo: Sephiroth, why in the blazes do you have a golden star sticker on your shoulder guard? How utterly unbecoming of a specimen of your caliber.

Sephiroth: It's my reward for not stabbing you with that spork you gave me when I was 7 to eat whatever that gray lab sludge was you called sustenance.

Hojo:

[chthontoya]

Cloud is a werewolf AU. Strifesodos week "Rot". @strifesodosweek

Warning, if you do the math, you'll notice there's an underage relationship, but that's not what story is about at all, thank you.

TW: cannibalism, death of secondary character, child neglect mentioned

Werewolfs are old almost extinct race with a curse on them left by Gaea for their traitorous nature. Strifes are the last family alive. To be precise, Cloud is the only one left. Cloudia died few years prior as a lone wolf without her mate. Even after she burnt her fur coat to stay with Cloud and grow him up, she couldn't live for too long. Cloud is traumatized by his mother's death and own wild nature, he is gloomy and sarcastic.

This has consequences for every SOLDIER with J-, S- or G-cells. All Genesis' clones die. Many of SOLDIER first and second class die too, most are in coma. The whole company is in chaos.

Date: early Autumn. Cloud as his initiation into adulthood kills Jenova completely (details later).

Genesis himself flew to help Jenova from the Eastern continent at her first call but was too late. He fell before an abnormally large black wolf and fainted from psychotic pain caused by Jenova dying.

Genesis condition was terrible. He wasn't tending his wounds properly after Angeal's death. Cure was barely working on him and most of his regenerative abilities depended purely on J-cells which all were mutated, similarly to cancer. With Jenova's death all Genesis unhealed or mutilated wounds opened anew.

Genesis wakes up in a cosy house in a small room with old but well kept wooden furniture. It's warm and smells with dry fur, which is a lot around him.

Through a headache, foggy feeling and hurting in the whole body, Genesis finally realises what have woken him up. The commotion outside, well heard even through a closed window. People fighting and screaming but two persons in the centre of attention: a blond man with a heavy looking black wolf fur on his back and much older one who looks like a victim and a villain in the same time.

The crowd is forced apart and people leave, what seems to be, the main square. The blond man with the coat comes closer to the house, accompanied by a beautiful woman of the same age.

Genesis finally meets Cloud properly. He's overwhelmed with how heavenly Cloud looks, and the man's aloof attitude doesn't worsen the situation but gives some exceptional charm. Genesis himself doesn't notice how he calls the man an angel. Cloud, though, looks like he's used to it - Genesis couldn't memorize his name during past weeks and was calling him this way.

The name "Cloud" is so unearthly that Genesis see it as a sign from Goddess.

Cloud tends Genesis' wounds and says the SOLDIER is lucky he wasn't killed by the black wolf. Or that Cloud found him earlier than any other predator.

Cloud have taken Genesis in and with help of local medics and nurses, he was able to heal the SOLDIER at least a bit. Cloud isn't going to release Genesis anywhere, until Genesis won't be able to leave the place through Cloud (physically fighting him).

Cloud explains the commotion that was outside: one of a local drunkheads, a widower, the last night almost lost a daughter to the local wildlife because he was too drunk to properly close his house. Cloud is full of killing intent talking.

Nibelheim is dangerous by itself with aggressive and powerful creatures roaming in mountains and in the mansion. O-whisps, hypnotic lights, make locking up in a house for a night a mandatory, especially for families with children.

The worst thing around Nibelheim however is the black wolf. The creatures have been seen only at night. There's always one in each generation. They are big, strong, drink mako like it's water, can use magic (presumably because of mako), and they eat people. There was no a generation in Nibelheim that not suffered from the bad wolf. At least, they rarely eat children for some reason.

Genesis has to stay for a few more days. Genesis learns more about Cloud, his family. Cloud is a hunter but he also watches the town's children in his free time which is a lot (the hunting isn't main priority for the town and Cloud earns enough money for a small/average family while living alone in his family property).

Both man find each other enchanting, but despite absolutely shameless flirting atmosphere between them, both proceed with care. Genesis doesn't stop calling Cloud an angel. The SOLDIER can't help but feel happy and needed when Cloud respond to his poetry reciting as if Genesis talked normally, even if there's so much salt and poison in the sarcastic responses that it makes Genesis wonder.

To the deep amusement of the Cloud's only friend, Genesis trains Cloud to use active-effect materia who is really bad at it. Cloud's problem, to Genesis' surprise, is that he tries to fully skip materia while drawing at the livestream. Cloud himself refused the training, knowing how bad he is. Genesis persuaded Cloud, though, promising to gift one of his summoning materia if he won't hate the time spent.

However Genesis wouldn't be himself if he would have not messed up here too, being a product of ShinRa, albeit not of the sorts they needed him to be.

The life with Cloud would be a good end for still gradually physically degrading Genesis. Cloud wouldn't hold him in the house or near, as soon as he is healed enough. They proved already that they are fine in mundane life together. And obviously for anyone staying around, Cloud and Genesis are romantically attracted to each other.

But it wasn't enough for Genesis. The SOLDIER, the Bloody General of Wutai craved revenge. And he hated himself for this.

With time Genesis was becoming more and more agitated, especially with rumours about few ShinRa SOLDIER first class sent to investigate the reactor.

So Genesis left. Slipped into the night during one of Cloud's hunting hours and decided to not to return until he'll make a hell for ShinRa.

Genesis is flying above Nibel mountains when he hears human screams and gun shuts. Genesis comes down. And he sees it.

The black wolf. A big, coal black creature, could easily bite off Genesis' head by the neck. Enraged. Blue mako eyes were glowing in the night. How much mockery of the "SOLDIER visit card".

The beast's nuzzle in blood and flesh. Seconds ago it had half of its head deep into some Nibelheimer's guts. Its paw, as soaked in blood, is on the place where the victim's hip bone should be. Judging by mess around the paw, the beast just squashed human there with its weight, maybe not even intentionally. The beast snarls.

The man's friend was now behind Genesis' back, and Genesis stops the other from firing again. The situation changed for the townfolk to act as mindless before. The morning is close and the beast might run away but to give the civilian a chance to escape, Genesis would have to engage it into the battle. Well, it's something Genesis is famous for.

The beast snarls warningly the moment Genesis gets out the rapier. The snarl intensifies when materia in the weapon start resonate. They launch into each other. Fire and blizzard power fill the air immediately.

In pure kill or die situation, Genesis would have died. Luckily for him, he just needs to hold off the beast long enough and this means he has enough power to spare on defence. They lock again and again. Air full of magic: smell of melt water, ozone and fresh dirt.

Finally Genesis sees an opening and slashes harshly at the beast's front. The creature howls agonizingly. It looks even more enraged now and somehow betrayed.

The beast runs away.

Genesis sinks down to the ground. The healed wounds hurt from the inside. The bitch on his shoulder burns especially viciously.

Genesis looks down. The beast's dead victim is the drunkhead from the scandal at the first coherent day in Nibelheim. Genesis wonders if Cloud will take his daughter in now, when both of her parents are dead.

Cloud. Should Genesis see him? Panting the SOLDIER gets up. He should've said his goodbyes properly, not fleeting like with Angeal.

The thought of Angeal makes Genesis get up, panting from the pain, and go back to the familiar house. The light from morning sun isn't warm but pleasant.

Genesis lands in the backyard. He opens the door and goes inside. There's so much blood. A lot of it. Too much. It was as if Cloud returned with a deep injury. Genesis doesn't like his conclusions.

A click of Cloud's gun. A grunt to get the fuck out and never return. A sound of a slight uncharacteristic for Cloud trembling in the hand, as if fighting with himself.

Genesis finally rises his eyes at Cloud. Yes. Deep shoulder-chest cut of his rapier is there and still bleeding even through rapid healing - Genesis isn't "Bloody" for his hair colour. Genesis laughs hystericaly and leaves. Of course, he fucking would. Injuring his dear people engraved into his soul like a rot that started from a seed.

Genesis gets on Cloud's roof to finally say his goodbyes. In autumn air of Nibelheim some red orb slips to the flue of Strife's house. Genesis sets off into the brightening sky.

P.S.: Okay, knowing it's a much shortened version of what I planned for a first of seven chapters, I really was too harsh on myself expecting me to write it all in a month, planning included.

P.p.s.: Yay! I'm finally not late for the event, even if it less than what I was hoping for

[salternateunreality2]

Claudia has a pet dragon AU

cute ideas that @strayheartless and I chatted about <3

Claudia probably had a pet dragon at some point that still visits and bothers her for snacks

Dragon: *tail wagging, dancing around, breathing fire* Claudia: *shoves its nose away* go on, git, I ain't got nothin more for ya, you ate all my wolf liver!

Dragon: *rolls on its back asking for belly rubs*

Claudia: ugh, fine. *Delivers belly rubs* Go on, ya daft dragon, I'm taking Cloud to school!

The villagers: ...

-----------

Claudia and her dragon had their babies around the same time, and babysat for each other.

Claudia and Dragon Mama exchange snacks occasionally; Claudia brings special parts of her kills that she and Cloud shouldn't eat, and Dragon Mama sometimes drops off whole carcasses.

Dragon: this deer ain't worth my time, but I killed it and Claudia might give me wolf liver if I drop by!

-----------

Mama Dragon is named Asil, and Baby Dragon is named Knarf. Because backwards, that's Lisa Frank, and they look like Lisa Frank characters. And they're scratch-n-sniff.

-----------

AGSZC visit Nibelheim and AGSZ are panicked when Cloud hears a dragon in the distance and runs off to confront it...only to discover Cloud GIGGLING and play-fighting it. They are more concerned about the giggling, as they've never heard it before.

They expected the Steve Irwin vibes from Zack, who has a pet sahagin in Gongaga, but Cloud was a surprise (he shouldn't have been, he's feral AF).

--

AGSZC: *walking to Nibelheim*

Dragon: ROAR

Angeal: We'd better steer clear, right Cloud? Cloud?! CLOUD!!!

Zack: Where did he even go?! That was so fast!

Sephiroth: Towards the dragon.

Genesis: Of fucking course.

AGSZ: *runs up just in time to see cloud, unarmed, jump on a dragon*

Cloud: KNARF YOU FUCKER I GOT YOU FIRST WAIT NO NOT THE FACE NOT THE FACE HAHAHAHAHAHAHA GET OFF

--

The dragons immediately like Zack because all animals immediately like Zack.

Angeal wins them over through snacks.

And they're obsessed with Genesis' sword and materia, and Sephiroth's hair.

They keep Sitting On Sephiroth and grooming his hair or staring at it, and they keep trying to steal Gen's stuff. You wouldn't think a puppy-lizard-cat is very sneaky when it's the size of a house, but clearly you would be wrong

--

Sephiroth: Please, Miss, I don't know how dragon saliva affects hair, and I can't afford for it to go spiky like Cloud's.

Asil: *still sitting on him and licking*

--

(turns out it's really really good for hair and makes it thick, shiny, and healthy...after you wash out the top layer of slime)

Knarf and Asil leave Genesis gifts when they steal from him. Sometimes it's worthless crap like a leaf or a rodent carcass; sometimes it's sparkling gems, rare materia, or their own scales, which are hard to come by. There is no pattern.

Genesis tries to bargain with them, bringing an assortment of Wall Market jewelry.

--

Genesis: Shall we trade? What will you give me for this diamond necklace?

Knarf: *holds up a leaf*

Genesis: How about this fake ruby bracelet?

Knarf: *5 rare materia*

Genesis: Ok, then you must give me something great for this fake ruby necklace, which only differs from the bracelet in that it is longer...

Knarf: *dead skunk plops on Genesis' head*

--

Talking about their childhoods:

--

Sephiroth: My sperm donor would order me to kill kittens.

Genesis: My parents didn't care, but my nanny would hit me with a ruler.

Zack: I'd be sent out into the backwoods to work off my energy and made friends with monsters!

Cloud: I'd go to air jail, where Asil would pick me up by my shirt and dangle me in the air.

Angeal: MY MOTHER SENT ME TO TIME OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR CHILDHOODS

--

Air jail:

I'd like to think that Sephy starts to have his breakdown, Claudia hears about it and the mysterious head in the reactor, and then sends the boys to help Seph while she and Asil take care of Jenova.

Asil both sits on Jenova and incinerates her, while Claudia shoots Jenova with her biggest shotgun.

[achoshistor]

crisis core reuinion

im actually crashing out this month so but i made two concrete decisions: firstly, to finish my bottle of red polish, and secondly, to get through the ccr story. #1 is not going very well but im glad to say i did #2!

infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess

im gonna start off by saying that I forgot what happened before so im gonna recap (mostly to myself)

firstly me and angeal go to wutai and i just beat up a bunch of wutai soldiers (zack = me) and also saw yuffie

i kind of forgot what happens here but angeal dissapears and then i forgot some more but we meet aerith and also uhh genesis crashes out and becomes evil

banora (i beat the shit out of angeal)

angeal wolf & beautiful queen aerith

at some point we have a beach scene where hes (zack =/ me) shirtless for somereason ??? and also he beats up monsters with an umbrella

me (zack = me) and cloud and tseng make out lowkey and also go to evil cold area with stealth section and levikron (RIP SONON) i couldnt finish so i just brute forced it and then angeal beats the shit out of me and then like something else happens (i KILLED him)

evil things happen at junon

i leave behind beautiful queen aerith because duty calls also tseng is watching from behind a wall (that man is married to his job)

we go to nibelheim and the scene in kalm happens all over again except im zack and not cloud and then sephiroths crash out happens and then he burns down the whole village (??) its literally fine afterwards so whats going on here anyways

we leave eventually and go to gongaga

cissnei also lazard and also hollander

we get to not mideel (banora) and i finish half of the side dungeon cause i assume its part of the main game but its not so i fight those evil mako thingys and get the materia and beat the shit out of genesis (side note zack is such a nice guy wow like he cares about genesis all throughout)

genesis talks a bunch more about loveless (IM SICK OF IT)

genesis does NOT die (it freaked me out so bad when he started talking again) and also everyone else died and then weiss and nero take genesis and we never ever see him again

we go to midgar except the army finds us first so erm.....

i (zack) (is it actually zach?) ascend to heaven with angeal

cloud crashes out (i do NOT blame him for anything)

i lowkey had to watch the t2s nutshell video to supplement this and honestly i kind of miss it bro AI voices just dont have the same charm

moral of the story: do not work for amazon

i think its really interesting how zach and cloud parallel each other LITERALLY like from the train scene to falling into the church; this def gave a different perspective on zachs final stand in contrast to remake (i havent finished the original & have no plans to bc its too hard) but (please put rebirth 50% off next sale square enix) i wonder if theyre gonna make more use of this; like since zack surrvives that means cloud's crash out likely isnt gonna happen in the first place which leads to a lot more happening if he doesn't crash out—I mean like there isnt gonna be the weird love "triangle" (its just tifa/aerith by remake tbh) its just gonna be beautful queen aerith and zack which therefore means one date doesnt happen to the ever unreceptive cloud (i read somewhere that cloud and zack were gonna become a merc team but idk how true that is)

i think on the topic of nero and weiss... i dont know really. all i know is that the both of them also crashed out (i dont care about nero because he killed sonon) which tbh was also pretty valid. i dont like how we don't know where the three of them are (3rd bro = genesis) like hes not even mentioned in intergrade but hes so intergral to zack's arc its so weird & i dont think they mention him at all in rebirth either. its like how in totk they wipe out all mention of the beasts; I also don't have a good grasp of what happens in DoC (genesis and weiss MAKE OUT)

we seek it thus, and take it to the sky

&speaking of divine beasts i didnt really understand what happened with the goddess and genesis but evidently she just recognized his soldier will or whatever and made him go back but before that when he turns into whatever did he not turn into a WEAPON? and that thing in the underground as well (the not emerald weapon) which i suppose suggest the guy is like anti sephiroth (protect the planet) (he sacrificed himself as per act v)

ummm idk what else let me think... i highkey almost started crying at the boss battles cause i was so done lol

i wonder if the grey stuff coming out of cloud and seph in the scene where cloud kills him was a form of the whisper stuff we see in remake rather than just a censor? after all, its not cloud's time to die & technically sephiroth lives... im not so sure since they show blood clearly in vii & intergrade as well as zack's final stand but here they're just gray dust...??

angeal was soooo fine too bad he died

& speaking of that... it doesn't really mean anything in the long run but angeal, genesis, and sephiroth are huge compared to zach. like yes i understand cloud is pretty small in stature for the average man, but zach's around 6'2 (maybe 180ish cm if youre European) meaning theyre around 6'8 or so (i dont even know what that would be in cm). does that suggest that jenova gillian gensis whatever cells make you bigger than average or is it just them....

i looked up zack's parents since i got lost and left gongaga & we evidently see them in rebirth. fourth result is a reddit theory that his parents ARE cloud and tifa (we will maybe inspect once there is a good sale) which his mother looks nothing like tifa lol. his dad does look shockingly like cloud if he didn't have mako in him—which regarding the mako in cloud i still don't understand why he couldn't make it into soldier when he survived mako poisoning twice and clearly has the skillset for the sword AND the gun. honestly the trust is that thanks to chapters like 8-13 of the remake i think endgame will be beautiful queen aerith x tifa (PLEASE LET ME GET WITH VINCENT VALENTINE PLEASE PLEASE PLEAS). also interesting that we STILL don't know cissnei's real name which means shes gotta tell it to zach at some point in part 3...

i know there was more i wanted to say so let me think some more so I dont have to make a half baked part two

okay so yuffie knows zach. cant really take this anywhere but i think that aerith probably saw zach within cloud (what kind of name is cloud anyways?? do u guys think its secretly been claude (from claudia) but they decided that sounded even stupider) which is probably why she offered that one date to him. i dont think shes in love with him or anything at all, rather the remnants of zach within him which leads me to do we think that yuffie can tell too? like she had to have known SOMETHING about cloud's backstory but idk if thats ever touched upon (sales would go up if the game wasnt $70 and PS exclusive 😭😢🤬)

i have to comment on their makeup LOL. almost everyone in this game is giving #BADDIE while they lowkey just give meow meow meow uncanny valley in the remake... also hollander is lowkey jacked. (????). genesis really is just evil gackt LOLLL i feel so normal and accepted when i see that this series has things like florence and the machine in it because i feel like there's less of a stigma associated with it in contrast to something like zelda

honestly as a conclusion (?) this series is really sad but also super weird and freaky. rude and reno are REAL freaks & theres probably more (whimper audio) will i play ever crisis? once i can bear to play another gacha.

okay double conclusion. everyone in this game crashes out for valid reason & geothermal energy is secretly evil.

i hope u guys liked me messing around with the colors. thats how i felt every time genesis came onto screen with his loveless monologuing. i will use it more productivley next time. infinite is the gift of the goddess... thanmks for coming to my EVIL ted talk

ironic how the first tumblr post i saw was thirsting over sephiroth (i could not understand because i was a youth). everything really does come full circle...