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aislingyngaio-games · 3 years

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The Tifareth Balance

I think this goes all the way back to the gnostic tree, and how everything has to be brought into balance to achieve Final Heaven.

Introduction: Where the Characters Begin in FF7

At the beginning of the story, Aerith was treated all her life as special by certain individuals - Turks, Shinra/Hojo, Elmyra, Zack. This gave her a very young Queen Victoria levels of self-importance and obstinence, very self-centered world view if you will, and that's why in OG she's always asking Cloud what he thinks about her etc (which actually implies she's rather confused that she isn't already the center of his world somehow) during dialogue options. This is also I believe partially why she seems to sense Ifalna, Elmyra’s husband, and Zack enter the Lifestream, yet seems inured when two reactors, a plate, and the related mass loss of life occurred. Surely she should have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of souls passing back into the Lifestream, yet she seems perfectly deaf to this mass upheaveal and more concerned about her own earthly affairs as she meets Cloud? Sounds oddly cold for a steward of the planet who could hear its cries, however faintly. There’s no Obiwan-Alderaan moment for her at all. Her starting point is that she misses the forest for the trees.

Meanwhile, we have Tifa, who though in her youth was the center of a circle of friends, we learn during the Lifestream that none of them actually understood her, esp obvious during her grief over her mother's death. For an introvert, this is actually a deeply socially draining experience, and since then, given how one by one her social circle deserted her and the village for job opportunities, she is left to believe she's simply a cog in the Grand Scheme. She's always had to suppress her own self and think of others before her. It doesn't matter that she probably wants to leave the village that's been emptied of her peers - she's the chief's daughter so she must stay. It doesn't matter that she disagreed over the reactor bombings, for the Greater Good Avalanche must do something to save the Planet, so she had to acquiesant against her own wishes. It was she who worried and grieved most for the two reactor bombings and the plate fall and its associated loss of life, even though she still had Cloud with her, and realistically couldn’t actually hear the cries of the Planet. Her starting point is that she misses the trees for the forest.

In other words, at the beginning of the story, Aerith is too selfish and Tifa is too selfless. And as author Rick Riordan once wrote, "The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation. Evil is easy to fight. Lack of wisdom… that is very hard indeed." (Athena, The Titan's Curse)

Aerith’s Character Arc in FF7

Over the course of the story, we see Aerith, even while leveraging her position and her blood against Shinra's encroachment, was equally afraid of her own powers. She ignored and hid herself away from the problems of Gaia, hiding under the protection of Elmyra for as long as she could. She disregards opinions and feelings of others like when she totally misjudged how to handle Barret's raw emotions over Corel at the Gold Saucer. She was not at all oblivious to Tifa's feelings yet still attempted to monopolize Cloud's attentions in front of her. This behaviour can be traced back to her need to stand firm against the Turks’/Shinra’s persuasions, though when used on regular people like the team, it is very offputting, abrasive, thoughtless and likely was what actually alienated her peers from her growing up. Ultimately, she made the fatal mistake of believing she knows what's best for the group in merrily skipping off alone into the Forbidden City (I mean, sure, we all know Cloud was unstable from the Jenova manipulation but there were 7 other sane party members who could have been consulted and split up before she skipped off unprotected?), and ultimately her fatal flaw of arrogance and selfishness caused her death. Not because she meant to die, knowing it will protect the planet, because she'd always intended to return to the team ("She talked about the future more than the rest of us"), but she died anyway because her arrogance and selfishness were her fatal flaw.

I think it is only in death, though unaddressed explicitly by the game story itself (which of course remains on the living party members, and therefore is the story of life, and how life still moves on after death), that she truly grasped the littleness of who she is. That ultimately, back in the Lifestream with all the other Cetras, she was finally able to understand that in the end, she was just another Cetra in the great battle against Jenova. Sure, she was the Cetra who summoned Holy, but it was actually doing more harm than good by itself. It was only with the collective power and force of the Lifestream, of all who were born of the Planet and all who returned to the Planet, that Meteor was able to aid Aerith (Holy) in pushing back Meteor. In accepting her ordinariness among the Cetra is when Aerith truly becomes the mother of Gaia, even if nobody other than the FF7 team will ever remember her name. Her legacy lives on in Gaia, along with the legacy every other Cetra died to preserve.

Aerith's character arc is to temper her selfishnes with selflessness, to care for the welfare of all instead of the welfare of a few individuals, and to recognise that she is but a small part in the greater plan, that it is ok to not be special. Her special blood didn't stop her from dying, nor was she alone the only saviour of the Planet. In the end, I believe that Aerith's journey in FF7 is her journey to understand that no matter how special she seems to be, in the end, the Planet will still live on without her too, with Nanaki as the probable successor to her decimated race's role as the new steward of the Planet.

Tifa’s Character Arc in FF7

As for Tifa, her character arc is the complete opposite: to temper her selflessness with selfishness. How odd a concept for a protagonist! Except it goes right back to the balance necessary to achieve Final Heaven ("The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation"). Tifa is shy, she is reserved, she always puts the needs and wants of others above her own, even if she disagrees. She didn't challenge Barret when she disagrees with his methods. She didn't challenge Aerith even when her own feelings were hurt, yet still she was kind in the face of such unkindness (intentional or not). She suppressed her own feelings for Cloud and tries only to behave like a friend to him even though she feels more. And most damning in her character arc, she didn't challenge Cloud over the knowledge that "I waited... but Cloud never came." It was the only piece of the Nibelheim incident she could recall clearly, but because she was too insecure in her own memories (though the rest of the Incident could be chalked up to the trauma caused by her almost dying by Masamune, Cloud's alleged absence at Nibelheim wasn't, because she had pinned her hopes on his arrival and her disappointment was palpable) she allowed what she knew to be false to stand in between them for the sake of Cloud's mental stability.

I have posited in another post that Tifa is not only the heroine of FF7 but the co-protagonist as well, or at the very least the deuteragonist. It is very telling that 10 minutes after Aerith's death, the team went snowboarding, whereas when Cloud and Tifa were both broken emotionally by Sephiroth and had their joint Heroic BSoD moment, the game experienced a timeskip. How odd that the permanent physical death of a valued party member didn't stop the game dead but the death of Cloud and Tifa's trusts in their own memories did? Yet it is important to mention as too many times already Tifa has simply been dismissed as unimportant, as simply the crutch, the guide to Cloud's story and nothing more. This could not be further from the truth. Tifa's story does not simply inform Cloud's. Tifa's story is ENTWINED with Cloud's. Even as their stories run parallel to each other's, crossing the same events, their arcs are both independent AND interdependent on each other's. Tifa is not simply a plot device or the narrator or whatever one calls Tifa in an attempt to dismiss her role in the bigger FF7 story. (And I mention this because even some Tifa fans forget this in their desire to whitewash Tifa's culpability in the Northern Crater affair, which is actually a key turning point in Tifa's hero's journey)

Someday perhaps I will write a full breakdown of Tifa’s hero’s journey (because it’s honestly frustrating to see claims – even from Tifa fans – of Tifa needing a character arc of her own when it’s always been in FF7 all along if only players will take off their protagonist/Cloud-tinted glasses) in greater detail, but for the sake of the discussion of her arc in the context of the gnostic tree and the role of balance within oneself, I will simply say this: that it is only in the death of her trust in herself, and in seeing the emotional death of the one she holds most dear (Cloud’s mental stability shattering at the Northern Crater), that she learns she cannot simply stand passively by even in the face of what she knows to be wrong, just to protect someone else’s feelings and wants. She learns that even inaction has consequences. That she has to be brave enough, assertive enough, just selfish enough to place her own needs and desires, her own thoughts and beliefs, on an equal importance to the rest of the party, even the Planet’s. That just because the world is ending, it doesn’t make her personal struggles any less important than the world’s problems, it doesn’t mean the problem can be ignored or that it will simply go away, or even that it’s unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

She erred, she fell, she “died”. And she learned, she grasped the second chance with both hands, and at Mideel, she stood firm and said, “This is where I want to be. Being with Cloud. Caring for him.” It wasn’t revenge she pursued any longer, or high-minded abstract ideals like saving the Planet. She still would help save the Planet if she could, but for once in her life, she put her foot down and make clear her own priorities – to be by the side of the one she love above all else. And she could make this decision without jeopardizing the Planet because of her ordinariness. She wasn’t imbued with special powers or special bloodlines or special keepsakes and her absence will most likely not affect the Planet’s safety or lack thereof. Even in her absence, we are sent on story missions that still ended in failure – heck, even after Cloud and Tifa rejoined, the Huge Materia space mission still failed anyway, because the point is... just because one wants to save the Planet doesn’t mean one can (after all, summoning Holy didn’t work either, at least not at first).

This is also paralleled with Tifa’s caring of Cloud: there was literally no guarantee that Cloud will ever recover from his Mako poisoning – he could be a vegetable forever, and yet this is still Tifa’s choice. This isn’t just about Cloud, but about Tifa asserting her desire to be with Cloud even in the face of both world destruction and his permanent vegetative state. This is who Tifa wants to be, who Tifa chooses to be. This isn’t something being pushed onto her as part of some “greater good” that she should ignore her own wants and needs for. (And to all those who deride Tifa as being weak for making her choices all for one man, remember that feminism isn’t about a “strong independent woman who need no man”, it’s about having the right to choose who we wish to be without being forced by any societal expectations of us. “Life doesn't make any sense without interdependence. We need each other, and the sooner we learn that, the better for us all." — Erik Erikson. If anything, Tifa choosing to stay by Cloud’s side is the very definition of feminism – it’s not about what we do, rather, that we have a right to choose without being shamed for what we choose to do)

Yet in the Lifestream is when she truly finds herself together with Cloud. She learns that, though she believed she is too ordinary to be special to anyone (remember, though she was the center of her group of friends in her youth, none of them really looked back when the time came for them, or at least she thought none did more than mere talk anyway), she was actually the reason for Cloud’s entire journey, that he reciprocated special feelings for her, that he always intended to return for her. She learned that, just as Cloud’s impetus was her reason for taking up martial arts (one of the few acts of “rebellion”/assertiveness in her youth where she was probably pressured to stay in the village either due to her father’s position or her gender), she was the reason for Cloud’s desire to be a hero too. Tifa was special in her ordinariness. She meant enough to someone who meant enough to her.

Tifa’s arc is to recognise that though she won’t ever be important to the Planet as an individual, she was important enough to the one that mattered most. It is not wrong or “selfish” to find individual love and prioritise it equal to the needs of the Planet. And in the end, it was this revelation and resolution of both her and Cloud’s mutual feelings for each other that gave Cloud the strength he’d previously only accessed from despair five years ago, the strength to defeat Sephiroth. And it was only with Sephiroth’s defeat that Holy was unleashed, and only when the Lifestream joined its chorus that the Planet was ultimately saved. In the end, it was the importance Tifa “selfishly” placed on her own wants and needs that saved Cloud, and by saving him, the Planet as well. If she’d been told that Cloud’s predicament, a single individual, was nothing in the face of the end of the world, if she hadn’t been just that little bit selfish in the face of her extreme selflessness, it might have simply brought them nothing but destruction.

Conclusion

In this sense, I believe that Aerith and Tifa were indeed developed to be two halves of the same whole. They started off as two extremes in terms of personality – Aerith was self-centered, assertive and intransigent, while Tifa was selfless, passive and insecure. Yet these are only negative traits when taken to extreme, and by meeting each other, by learning from each other, tempering and moderating each other’s behaviour, by Aerith learning to be more considerate, more humble and more persuadable (because my god, was Aerith utterly brattish and unbearable in Remake before she met Tifa), by Tifa learning to be more assertive, more confident, to take pride in herself, the two halves of a whole bring each other to balance and become better versions of themselves for it.

"The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation. Evil is easy to fight. Lack of wisdom… that is very hard indeed."

P.S. tagging @enigmaphenomenon as it was your twitter thread that inspired this post. A lot of the thoughts in this impulsive post probably definitely needs a hell lot more refining by more critical minds but I hope this is a good starting point for discussion.

#final fantasy 7 #Aerith Gainsborough #tifa lockhart #gnostic symbolism #cloti

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lindorthedragonslayer · 4 years

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Aerith/Cloud’s Resolution Scene ✨

Normally, I like just reading other people’s thoughts on things, but since this scene, and Aerith herself are so tragically underappreciated, I decided to contribute to the conversation myself. :)

Warning: “there will be monsters.” (I.e. there will obviously be spoilers for FFVII Remake, but also the original game - based on my vague childhood memories of it, anyhow - Advent Children, and defs some Clerith bias shining through, so if that ain’t your cup of tea, please scroll away~)

This scene was one of my absolute FAVOURITES in the remake because - on top of it being both visually, and musically stunning, as well as amazingly well-acted - I felt like it showcased Aerith, and Cloud’s characters, and their dynamic SO incredibly well.

⁑ On Aerith ⁑

First, there’s Aerith. At the start of the scene, Aerith is her usual spirited self. When Cloud asks if she’s okay, she immediately reassures him, telling him that being back at Shinra was like “going back to [her] childhood home,” that it wasn’t "that bad,” even though that was far from the truth. Similarly when Cloud informs her that her “mom’s really worried, too,” Aerith, true to form, latches onto the chance to further lighten up the mood by teasing him about the unsaid sentiment that he was also worried about her (although this unexpectedly backfires on her).

Time, and again, it is implied that Remake!Aerith knows details that she shouldn’t, and the outcome of events that haven’t transpired yet (maybe the Whispers showed her glimpses of the future like they did with Cloud, and co.?). So, I believe that it is her awareness of her tragic fate paired with her own grief over suddenly losing her mom, Zack - and now Elmyra, and her home, too - that prompts her to deliver her hauntingly beautiful speech about cherishing the present moment, to express her heartfelt gratitude to Cloud for all the happiness he’d given her, and to say her iconic “you can’t fall in love with me” line. She knows perfectly well how devastating it is to suddenly lose someone precious to you, so she tries to find a way to both prepare Cloud for that seeming inevitability, and also prevent him from getting too attached to her, and experiencing the same profound sense of loss she has because of her.

I think it’s so sad, yet beautiful how Aerith’s loneliness is at the very heart of so many of her words, and actions. Aerith is so spirited, and lively, so full of life, because, to her, the girl who suffered so many great, and sudden losses, each, and every moment is “so precious, and fleeting.” Because of her early childhood, she learned to find, and appreciate the little joys in life, and the good in the people around her - even, and especially when neither were immediately apparent. This sad, pure girl, who is so touched by people simply seeking her out to be with her, works so hard to ensure, and protect the happiness, and lives of those precious to her, even if it comes at the cost of her own.

⁑ On Cloud ⁑

Then, there’s Cloud. In this scene, Cloud refuses to go along with Aerith’s charade: he calls her out on her “childhood home” lie; ignoring her teasing tone, he sincerely admits to being worried about her; and, he listens attentively to what she does honestly say, encouraging her to continue speaking, even when she’s uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

For the very first time in the story, the seemingly aloof Cloud actually takes a firm stance on something, and even fights for it. When Aerith tells him “not to fall in love with [her],” that his feelings for her “[aren’t] real,” Cloud responds with, “Don’t I get a say in all this?” With this curt response, Cloud actually asserts himself for a change. Cloud, the boy who, up until now, never really bothered to correct anyone’s (often misguided) impressions of him, who repeatedly chose to drop matters, and distance himself instead. Who later has an identity crisis, and doubts whether, or not “Cloud Strife,” and all his thoughts, feelings, and memories are truly real, and his, and not something Sephiroth simply created. Right here, and now, for the very first time, Cloud interjects, gets annoyed, and stands up for himself when someone tries to decide how he feels, and keep him away.

And then, Cloud, the boy who coped with social rejection all this time by setting himself apart, reacts to Aerith’s attempt to push him away by taking a page from Aerith’s own book: he holds his ground, and further inserts himself into her life. “I’m coming for you.” This quiet, but firm resolution of his marks the beginning of Cloud’s journey to becoming the hero, and person he always wanted to be, I think. Previously, Cloud simply, and begrudgingly went with the flow: while he helped Avalanche, Jessie, T*fa, and Aerith (because “he’s a merc,” and, a good guy at heart), he never offered his own input on matters, and always yielded to their decisions, even if he wasn’t too keen on it himself. However, taking Aerith back from Shinra was so immensely important to him; it was a cause he decided to fight for all on his own, regardless, and in spite of everyone’s (Aerith, Elmyra, T*fa, Barret’s) contrary stances on the matter, and a cause that he gradually started calling all of the shots for. By the end of the mission, and game, the others actually look to Cloud for direction on what to do next, cementing his role as the leader of their ragtag group.

⁑ On Cloud & Aerith/Clerith ⁑

Now what I’ve always loved about Aerith, and Cloud’s relationship with each other is that - whether you see it romantically, or platonically - their connection is based on an easy friendship that brought both of them so much happiness, comfort, courage, and strength. Their bond with each other wasn’t built on any epic, world-shattering event that brought them together, but rather on a thousand quiet, little moments that they chose to share together.

For Aerith, who was weighed down by so much sorrow, and unwanted responsibility, Cloud was someone who gave her so much to smile, and fight for. With Cloud, she was able to just let loose, and really live: being with him allowed her to be her true cheeky, mischievous, and energetic self without any restraints; to adventure in, and be part of the outside world she longed for without fear. At the same time, Cloud inspired her to be a little more open, and vulnerable, as well as to face her Cetra heritage head on in order to save the Planet that he, and all her loved ones live on - two huge shifts for her as someone accustomed to hiding behind a smile, and turning away from trouble.

Likewise, for Cloud, Aerith was someone who both accepted him for exactly who he was, while also inspiring him to be better. When presented with Cloud’s cold, and distant SOLDIER facade, Aerith wasn’t deterred in the slightest; in fact, she became even more determined to stick by his side, and get him to open up to her. Through her relentless teasing, silly antics, and steadfast friendliness, Aerith quickly broke down many of the walls Cloud built around himself, encouraging him to just be himself without any pretenses. After meeting Aerith, Cloud was inspired to do so many things he previously scoffed at, like taking a break, and being more actively involved with others. In Aerith’s company, Cloud was happy, and showed that he did actually care in his own awkward, clumsy way. However, Aerith didn’t “fix” Cloud with her love, nor did she make herself the centre of his universe: she simply stubbornly stayed by his side, which encouraged him to really appreciate, and rely on the people around him, work through his issues himself, and even save the Planet.

All in all, I believe that Aerith, and Cloud’s resolution scene perfectly captured every aspect of their relationship together. As usual, they’re initially shown directly across from each other, gazes locked, but choosing to close the distance between them. It’s a quiet moment where nothing particularly major, or dramatic happens - even the music is quiet, and gets quieter still at its climax. Yet, there’s so much love evident in every little moment, and gesture they make: they inspire honesty in each other, give each other the motivation to face another day, and once again make their desire to be together for just a little bit longer so heartbreakingly obvious. Furthermore, Cloud’s later claims about being someone who cherishes everything, and being okay because he isn’t alone anymore are so reminiscent, I think, of Aerith’s monologue here, proving that he really did take her words to heart.

Despite the game’s purposeful ambiguity in the romance department (lest they make multiple version of the same scene, or have Cloud come off as a player), it is still clear that, as friends, or lovers (this part is up to personal interpretation, and preferences), Cloud, and Aerith’s bond with one another is one that brought them so much happiness, and strength, making it one of the most precious ones they have. In a game that heavily highlights contrasts, Cloud, and Aerith are an example of how opposite personalities can complement each other so well, making it all the more beautiful, and tragic. That’s what I believe, anyway.

#final fantasy vii #aerith gainsborough #cloud strife #clerith #ffviir spoilers #games #text #blahblahblah #THIS IS SO NERDY OF ME TO WRITE A LITERAL ESSAY ON THEM #BUT I WAS INITIALLY REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR PEOPLE FANGIRL ABOUT AERITH + CLERITH #SINCE WHEN I WAS SMOL I DIDN'T GET TO EXPERIENCE THAT #AND IMAGINE MY DISAPPOINTMENT TO FIND THAT THERE'S SO LITTLE APPRECIATION FOR EITHER #TT^TT #I JUST LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH #AND THEY DESERVE EVERY HAPPINESS #AND EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE'S ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN OPINIONS #PEOPLE NEED TO LOVE THEM TOO #anyhow thank you for listening to my ted talk LMAO #if anyone actually reads all of this i'll be SUPER DUPER impressed

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silver-wield · 4 years

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Omg. Your body language analysis is so on point it makes me go uwu. If you're still doing it, will you make one for the scene where Cloud catches Tifa while Barret shoots his damnest at the heli? I have my own analysis but very curious what's your take on it.

Heya, I'm guessing you don't mean the scene with the hand catch, but the one after it where they reach Barret's position on the stairs. Although I have many thoughts about Rude too and why he first of all directed Reno's attention to Tifa, but then noped them away when Reno was about to shoot her. He had an interesting microexpression – teeny facial tic – that hinted something different to the OG “he's crushing on her” angle.

A lot of these “action touches” get discounted by you-know-who because in those situations it's impossible not to touch? I don't get the reasoning and I'm not gonna try and figure out just what counts and what doesn't. It's non-optional. Isn't that the only argument that matters?

Ok, spoiler warning for ppl who haven't played (I tag FF7R spoilers as final fantasy 7 remake spoilers) and it's gonna be a long one so prepare to scroll.

Also, this is one person's interpretation of the scene, so if you disagree that's cool and we'll agree to disagree.

You're also gonna have to excuse the janky quality on some of the screens, I'm grabbing them from Youtube and it's frustrating af trying to get the exact moment I want.

Other analyses if anyone's interested.

Shinra HQ vision scene (Cloti/plot analysis)

Chapter 3 (Cloti reblog)

Tifa character analysis

Aerith Resolution (plot analysis/theory)

Train graveyard (not really an analysis, but I got some sweet screenshots of Cloti)

Clotiscrew tunnel analysis

Cloti reunion analysis

The Promise Analysis

Andrea's approval (Cloti ask response)

Now, strap in and enjoy the ride.

Quick recap. Cloud and Tifa are reunited after that hand catch scene (smug? Me? Nau) and they're heading up to find Barret after seeing Jessie “die”. The mood is not good. This is not romantic, okay? This is war.

Ok, so already we have touchy touching here. You can argue it's high tension/stress moment and Cloud is making sure Tifa's safe, but he doesn't do that with Barret, is all I'm saying.

Cloud's got hold of her entire arm, not just her wrist or hand, he's got hold of her as securely as possible giving they're in motion. He doesn't want to lose her. She's got her arm on him, braced and using his body as a shield, which he is clearly fine with because he positions her partly behind him while he turns to check the threat from the stairs – possible further collapse of the platform they're now on. He's protecting her. Obvs. I shouldn't have to spell this out. It's not romantic, but it's telling of their trust and reliance on each other as partners. This is a clear pair.

Ok, so moving on from Cloti – cause action scene and this isn't a romance game – we get Tifa hearing Barret behind her. She turns and there's her concern for her friend. Obviously, she cares. It's her entire motivation for leaving the safety at the bottom and hauling her ass up those stairs.

Her face here hits me hard in the feels. She's so grim and worried and doesn't want to lose anyone else. She's caught up to Cloud, but then she lost Jessie – right in front of her and she couldn't do a thing about it. Now, she sees Barret facing down a helicopter.

Take that in. It's a dude – ok he's got a machine gun on his arm – fighting military spec weaponry on a fucking helicopter. Of course she's frightened and worried that she's about to see him get shot. Someone else she couldn't save.

Remember, FF7 has themes of loss and failure. The heroes don't always win or if they do there's a cost. How much of that threads into Remake is still to be seen, but since this scene is following canon we can assume it stands for now.

Tifa's character is often motivated by the desire to not lose people. She even says as much to the Shinra middle manager that she doesn't want anyone else to die. She stops Cloud killing the security agents and Johnny. This is a girl who fights because she wants people to live, not die.

Ok, so now we've got her running to reach Barret, leaving the safety of her bolt hole beside Cloud, who immediately turns and is all wtf when he sees her playing chicken with a chopper. Tbf, Barret doesn't sound that pleased about it, either. It's a crazy impulsive move likely driven by the desire to not lose her friend. If they're together they can stop whatever's coming. Tifa is very teamwork oriented if you recall all her actions from chapter 3 and how demoralised she was when she had to agree to disagree with Avalanche.

Cloud for his part doesn't take too long to dive to the rescue again. I think by now he's pretty much fulfilled that childhood promise and this is way more than just helping out a colleague or friend. He's not hesitating for a second to put himself in front of her with nothing but a sword for a shield.

Sorry, I just stopped the vid on this moment and it looks so damn cool I couldn't resist adding it. All it does is reinforce the above statement that Cloud has zero reservations of putting himself between Tifa and certain death. He's her hero without even stopping to think about it. The framing is stunning. Barret in the background, Cloud in the middle distance and Tifa in the foreground. Cloud has lined himself up with Tifa so that she's as protected by his position as he could possibly get. That takes skill. Tifa's half crouched to make herself a smaller target, but Cloud's body language is open, defiant. He's basically saying “come at me”.

Ah and now I'm sure some people will be all “but Cloud left her in the middle of the platform”. Well, yes, it's called diversion. He's the bigger target, the better target. And by making the chopper follow his progress, he's taken its sights away from Tifa's position. It now has less chance of hitting her when it next fires. Remember, Cloud knows tactics. He's not a dumdum. You can see that on his face as he's deciding his next move. The chopper won't wait for him to stop and explain what he needs to do, it's gonna fire. He's gotta move quickly. He also needs to trust that Tifa can get herself out of trouble. So many people's complaints about how she's not a damsel and should take care of herself. Well, this is Cloud trusting her not to be a damsel. He helped her out, and now he's gotta rely on her helping herself too. If he took her by the hand at this moment and dragged her along with him, she probably would've died. Tifa got herself to his position alone, she's clearly capable. He knows how much ass she can kick.

After that we've got the typical checking for danger and guy banter. I'm loving the development of Cloud and Barret's relationship. They went from outright hating each other to friends over the course of this game. It's beautiful and develops even further in their resolution – I love their one, it's so sweet and sad and such a guy bonding moment. Male friendship is important too, especially to Cloud who doesn't have many friends.

Now, despite the banter, Cloud's head turns at this point, back to Tifa. He's made sure the immediate area is safe, checked in with Barret and now it's back to his primary focus.

I love that Barret calls himself the leading man. It reminds me of Balthier in FF12.

And you'll see that Barret is still in the middle of that line while Cloud is stretching his hand out for Tifa. Could be a “I gotta grab my teammate” move, but I mean, really? Are we that delusional? He didn't have to do any of this. He could've relied on Tifa to get herself over there and not put out a hand for her. Barret didn't grab him. You could say that Barret doesn't like Cloud enough for that, but it's a high action moment. They're comrades and being shot at. Any helping hand is appreciated. Maybe Barret thought Cloud was capable enough not to need help. But then wouldn't the same apply to Tifa? Why does she need helping just cause she's a woman? She can kick ass.

And what about Barret? His attention isn't on Tifa at all. His focus is the helicopter, so he's either relying on Tifa to be ok without that level of help or he's expecting Cloud to support her.

Yes, she is literally throwing herself into his arms. That's how much she trusts him to catch her. Again, Cloud is going for a full arm grab – a hand or wrist isn't secure enough in this situation and he wants to keep her safe.

Tifa. Well, she looks scared. Shocker. She just got shot at by a helicopter. Ofc she's scared and leaning on Cloud. She's taking strength and reassurance from him. I mean, she could've just grabbed his arm and pulled herself to safety. There's no need for this depth of touch.

You'll notice this all happens within miliseconds while Barret says that leading man line. This is very quick action, very decisive. No hesitation on anybody's part.

I mean, this is full upper body contact between them. I don't know what else to say about it. There's no need to get this close. He could've pulled her over and then let go. He didn't. They both prolonged contact. This is relief they're ok for the moment. They’re united in how they feel.

Oh look, eye contact. I've pointed out before that Cloud doesn't do eye contact with people very well, but he does with Tifa, no matter the situation. Looking at this I'm like damn get a room. It's an intense look between them and even though there's shit hitting the fan around them you can see they have attention for each other, too. He's pulled her to safety and now he's meeting her gaze to gauge if she's ok. She nods. He nods. Back to the action. They don't have time for a drawn out romantic bit. They've got more serious things to think about, but even during the most high tension action scenes they have this energy about them that speaks to their close bond and affection. He's comfortable with her touch in every situation – if I'm wrong about this then someone point it out to me so I can see plz. He's still got his hand on her after they separate from their action hug and then when he drops his hand he braces it against the pipe beside her. Still close to her, though not actually touching.

After Barret asks if they're ready, Cloud looks around then looks at Tifa again. Did he need to do that? Idk, but he didn't look at Barret before they hauled ass.

Conclusion:

Kinda obvious. Even in high tension situations Cloud has part of his attention on Tifa. He's hyper aware of where she is and whether she needs him at any given time. It's sweet af how much he focuses on being her hero without even really knowing why. This instinctive need to protect her comes from the real!Cloud part of him. The one that made the promise to her. The one that has a crush on her.

Some people can say these kind of moments don't count because Cloud has no choice(?) but to touch her, but actually, he has no reason to touch her the amount he does. There's ways to execute these moments without this much unnecessary touching. He does it this way because of an instinctive need and desire to touch her this much. It's what he wants to do.

#final fantasy 7 remake spoilers #final fantasy 7 remake analysis #cloti #action romance scenes #battle couple #there's really no need for them to be this touchy #unless they wanna be #they act like a couple already

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insomniasix · 4 years

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I’m Here. FFVII Remake. Cloud x OC (Not romance)

A/N: umm hello.. 😅 I haven't written anything in a while but this game is so goddamn beautiful it's so hard not to.. So, I made an OC (most of the people following me can probably remember the love I have for original characters, so, if you have anyone you'd wish to brag about I'm always here).. OK, this takes place a little after the Sector 7 pillar scene, so spoilers ahead (yes I have marked this with A FFVIIR spoilers hashtag.)

More about my OC to come later today.

After the destruction of the pillar and the loss of so many of their comrades and friends, everyone was a little more quiet than usual. Marlene and Tifa were sleeping in Aerith's room while Barret kept a close eye on Wedge in the other.

As pressured by the loss as everyone else in the house, Cloud had decided he needed some fresh air. It wasn't long before he made his way to the balcony overlooking the garden at the top floor.

The smoke from her cigarette was the first thing that got his attention. The second was how quickly she moved to cover her tears.

He said a quick 'hey' and made his way to the edge of the balcony, giving her time to cover herself, knowing full well how she hated being seen like this.

"You should be resting." her voice broke into the silence of the night.

"So should you." Cloud finally turned around to face her, stopping for a few seconds to take her image in.

Cloud knew how she got when she was in pain, grief... Killed by her own thoughts. He'd gone through it before when...

"We didn't talk about the pil-" he started hesitantly before she cut him off.

"What's there to talk about, Cloud? I couldn't do anything to help him. Or Jessie for that matter. What good is healing materia when you can't use it when it counts the most?"

"Luna..."

"I mean, let's face it... We didn't need four people at Corneo's, and to be honest I didn't exactly help all that much."

"You held my hand." Cloud rushed to cut her off, tell her how the smallest act actually did help something, someone... Him. "You were there for me when I -"

"Saving you from embarrassment, Cloud, is just not the same." she laughed for a second; the serious matter returning to her brain just as fast as it had hid as the picture of an equally blushed and angry Cloud dressed in a pretty white dress made its way to her. "Maybe if I was there. If I'd made my way back to Sector 7 instead of- maybe..."

"You would have been dead too." Cloud said coldly. Giving his last try to convince her his all.

"You don't really believe that." she sounded hurt. It wasn't because of his words, but because she knew he was right once again.

"We only made a difference because we knew what was happening. Biggs and the others... They were caught by surprise." Cloud made his way to her side. Seeing as her cigarette has burned out and the tears were once again covering her mako bathed eyes. "If you'd been here... I would've lost you too."

"What now then?" she swallowed the pain in her chest. Cloud was right. She couldn't make him lose her too, as she, herself, could never stand losing him. Not after...

"For now, I'm here." he said as he placed his arms around her shoulders, hugging her tight as she let the tears fall.

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Tagging: If you’d like to be tagged or removed, please let me know. Thank you for your time!

@mzargentum @crestsandmemery @asonataspassions

#oc #ffviir spoilers #ffvii remake #Ffvii oc #cloud strife #Ffvii Biggs #Ffvii #aerith gainsborough #tifa lockhart #barret wallace #Biggs #Jessie #Wedge #Biggs x oc #zack fair #Luna Fair

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idridian · 7 years

Text

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.

#ff7crack2017 #gayredmage #jenova #sephiroth #cloud strife #aerith gainsborough #jenova/sephiroth #final fantasy 7 #SPOILER PAIRING DON'T READ #jenova/jenova #selfcest

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thronelessprince · 7 years

Text

Mr. Angel

||A fanfiction that basically plays ‘what if the Aerith’s healing rain didn’t come immediately’ angle from Advent Children. Word Count: 1500+ Characters: Rufus ShinRa, Tseng, Aerith Gainsborough Themes: geostigma, forgiveness, subtle hints of TsengXRufus By now, it was an overused joke. The punchline was old, the delivery stale, and every time someone started to say it, Rufus inwardly winced. Only, no one dared speak it. It spoke itself, propagated and spread like a disease that gripped the planet in cycles of wellness and illness. Ironic, now, as geostigma rose as a poor man’s plague within the streets delivering death wherever it walked. And if it was not death, it was suffering.

It was this same suffering that had confined Rufus to a mere shadow of his former self. Crippled, lurking, a blanket clung to his deteriorating form to shield it from harsh rays of sunlight that sought to agitate his sick flesh. But if it were indeed physical pain alone, the blonde would have found the condition tolerable.

Idle hands, however, made for idle minds. And idle minds were prone to linger in the past, a realm far from the power of change and progress. What did it matter now? Here in this church, surrounded by those whose futures were bright, what dreams were even left to pursue? It—Sephiroth was bound to return. And with each iteration of the horrendous comedy show, the former President felt further loss. Again… and again. With each resurgence, another piece of that man he knew, gone. Untouchable. Unreachable.

Rufus smiled bitterly. Then again, during fonder times, it wasn’t as though much had changed. Even then, the small, shy, blonde child could not close the gap. He could only watch as it deepened, swallowed by the tide of unfathomable fate. A fate that had a terrible sense of humor.

“Excuse me” A frail voice sounded from behind him.

Rufus did not turn. He did not so much as acknowledge the sound.

But it returned, none the less, the owner, a child stepping timidly forward, the taint smeared across his face. She had brown hair and a pink dress. “U-um…” She stammered, somewhat intimidated by the dark figures which only know she noticed, hovering about the man in white.

“Y.. you’re an angel, right?” She asked hopefully, chancing a look upwards. But when she saw the black stains on Rufus’ hand, her countenance fell. “I.. I didn’t know angels got sick too…” Slowly, her eyes fell back to the dirt.

An angel…Rufus couldn’t even claim to be one in a fallen state. Couldn’t even claim he was a demon at this point. No, he was far worse.

He was human.

“Mr. Angel..? Am… I going to die?” She asked, familiar green eyes wide, small hands brought together before her chest as though she were petitioning him. In fact, within her grasp was… a flower. Beautiful and white.

Rufus could not answer, so he did not move. However, the girl persisted, seeing that her verbal attempts were futile. Carefully, she stepped on the leg holder to get high enough to reach the blonde and offered her little flower, the petals smashing against the former President’s nose. By this point, Tseng should have intervened, but Rufus had a funny feeling that it wasn’t going to happen. The child was hardly a threat. Unless she intended on choking him to death with pollen.

“P-please… I.. I don’t want to… I’m sorry I went with those men. I-I didn’t know.” She plead, voice tight and frame shaking as to suppress the imminent sob.

“I understand.” Rufus finally said, much to the girl’s surprise as he took the offered flower and smelled it. Or at least, he went through the motions. It wasn’t as though he could really smell anything in his state. But once he did, he carefully tucked the flora behind the girl’s ear. She looked up at him bewildered.

He reached forward once more, this time to hoist the girl up and of his chair, setting her down on the ground. The effort had him almost gasping for air.

Eyes lighting up, the girl quickly looked around before enthusiastically nodding, and with a quickly uttered thank you skipped off. She would have to hold the hope for the both of them.

“Tseng,” Rufus called, the figure forming from the shadows. “We are leaving.”

“…”

The blonde shook his head at the silence, and dutiful as ever, the Turk undid the stops on the wheelchair and as a ghost disappeared with the former President.

Days later, rumors would begin to pour out that the old church underneath the ruins of Sector 7 had begun to fill with water. And by happen chance, an afflicted child had been playing nearby, finding its healing properties. Many people far and wide began to flock towards this once abandoned place. And once more, Rufus found himself within the shadows, watching as people came, stepped within the waters, and sure enough, were freed.

He watched for hours. And overtime, the throngs dissipated. Rufus was alone, left to stare at the rippling water. Geostigma… It felt like a long time since the male had contracted it. Years spanned in the pain filled moments. Millenia filled the quiet ones where Rufus was left with little more than his own mind. They echoed there—his mistakes. His shortcomings. And as tired as he was of the same old joke, Rufus could do little to change the punchline. He was condemned to live in his own skin.

“Tseng.” He called again, voice cracking. “Let’s-“

“Mr. Angel?”

Blinking up, the man came eye to eye with the little girl in the pink dress. She was smiling warmly at him, her face having cleared up completely.

“I knew you would come!” She exclaimed proudly, the flower in her hair still where Rufus had left it, completely untouched.

Quietly, the blonde nodded. Although he was not left completely to inaction. The girl wouldn’t allow it. A small hand reached forward and took his contaminated one, tugging insistently for him to rise.

“Come on! The water isn’t so bad once you get in. And you’ll feel a lot better!” She tugged again.

A child like her wouldn’t understand. The atrocities, the ugliness… Geostigma almost seemed to suit Rufus. Penance, as it were, for horrors unprevented. All for the sake of what, a dream? A deluded idea of grandeur? Believing that he alone dreamt and he alone was to make it happen? If that was the path of dreams, Rufus found it too costly. What had he left here? A few shadows and a name.

When Rufus didn’t respond, the girl in the pink dress paused, head tilting to the side. “Mr. Angel… are you scared?”

Gingerly stepping forward, she carefully grabbed the rim of the blanket that covered the former President’s face and moved it away, the fabric falling about his shoulders. Looking directly at his visible eye, she gave a benevolent smile, one far beyond her years.

Come on.

He heard a voice, gentle, but demanding, cutting through the haze clouding his mind. And when the girl gently took his hand again, he complied, shakily standing as he balanced his weight on his good leg. From behind, the girl looked taller, older still, the subtle scent of flowers wafting through, making the awkward journey a little more bearable.

Before long, the male’s shoes touched the water’s edge, the liquid lapping at the leather. Having come this far, Rufus persevered, walking into the pool before he was led to wade in the center, a depth that would have been too tall for a child to keep their head above surface without swimming. But the girl, the woman, rather, remained tall and serene.

The water was cool, but not unpleasantly so. And as he stared at the surface, he could see the reflection of a weary man. He could not see hers. Shutting his eyes, Rufus inhaled quietly before submerging his head beneath the water.

It’s alright, you know. To be forgiven.

His eyes opened beneath the water in recognition, and before long Rufus stood up at his full height again, water dripping down his face, his bandages having loosened while he was submerged. They were now lost in the pool, along with any sign of geostigma. “Sir?” Tseng’s voice cut through, seizing Rufus’ attention as he turned to see the Turk who had followed him into the water, now also wet from the waist down. The male placed both hands on the blonde’s shoulders, brows furrowed in concern. “Are you alright?”

Nodding slowly, he responded. “That girl… she…”

“What girl?”

Rufus froze, turning back to where the girl had last stood, to find no one.

All that was left was a white flower floating on the water. And for a moment, Rufus could have sworn he heard laughter, sweet, bell-like laughter.

“…Tseng?”

A smooth, albeit calloused hand moved to cup the blonde’s cheek, a thumb smoothing over his angled cheekbone. “Sir.”

“Let’s.. go home,” Rufus said, leaning into the touch. And while the water had more or less finished running, a fresh stream racing down and wetting Tseng’s fingers.

And for the first time in as long as Rufus could remember, the Turk smiled, brushing away the remnant water.

“Of course.”

#fanfic #ff7 #Rufus ShinRa #Tseng #Aerith Gainsborough #que

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