Final Fantasy 7 Remake - Blog Posts

hi uhdmdn............. i saw ur reqs was open and i thought maybe u could do bbg Sephiroth with a blind reader? I just need sum domestic Seph rn..... give me tooth rotting fluff till i eat my pillow..... frothing even..... u can do this req anytime u want when ur free ofc!!

☆ his eyes

sephiroth x male reader [he / him]

sypnosis: above.

the lowercase is intentional !

sephiroth practically acted as [name]'s eyes around the home. he helped with a lot of the cooking, chores and anything else that needed doing. he didn't mind doing these things, of course. he did them out of love for [name]. he wouldn't want his partner getting into some accidents, even if [name] was very aware of his surroundings in the home.

sephiroth loved taking care of [name]. not because his partner was blind or anything. not at all. [name] was quite frankly able to take care of himself, his impaired vision didn't take away his abilities of being capable to look after himself one bit. yet, sephiroth loved taking care of [name] because he loved [name]. he was a truly sweet man (under all of the murderous intent of course).

[name] was walking around the kitchen, wanting to grab something. he searches for the cupboard he needed with his hands as his touch was one of his heightened senses. once [name] found the cupboard, he reached to open it only to find the door bumping into his head. but, the corner was soft. it didn't actually feel like the wood it was made out of.

the cupboard door had actually hit sephiroth's hand. sephiroth placed his hand against the corner of the door just incase something happened, like a natural instinct or something. he was glad he didn't have to see [name] walking around with a bruise on his head for the rest of the day.

[name] hummed and he turned over to where he could sense sephiroth's presense. he smiled and looked up at the other man. "thank you." [name] whispered softly, truly grateful that he had sephiroth by his side at all times.

"you don't have to thank me." sephiroth replied, a smile forming on his own lips as he looked over at [name]. "i am just doing what i can to help you." he said before leaning over to press a kiss on [name]'s forehead.

"you do more than enough for me." [name] chuckled, shaking his head at sephiroth's words. "but.. if you want to help me out more can you pass me one of the bowls? i don't want to risk bumping my head again." the man continued.

sephiroth nodded and he took the bowl out for [name], placing it down on the kitchen counter for him. [name] heard the bowl being placed down, so he searched for it once again before picking it up.

"i was thinking of baking something, if you'd help me get the ingredients. you can be my eyes like you so desperately wish to be." [name] hummed. he tilted his head over to where he thought sephiroth was before. he then waited for a reply from the man, although he already knew sephiroth was going to help him.

"of course. do you even have to ask?" sephiroth let out a little chuckle, and so did [name] in response. it was true, [name] didn't really need to ask if he needed help from sephiroth anymore. sephiroth was always in the room if [name] was in it, so he'd always be in on anything [name] was doing.

[name] walked over to another cupboard, holding out his hands before he reached for the handle of it. he then opened it, this time ducking his head down slightly to not hit himself or sephiroth.

"i need some flour.. sugar.. eggs.. butter.." [name] mumbled, waiting for sephiroth to get them. sephiroth nodded and he went to go get them for [name] from the opened cupboard and the fridge.

once sephiroth had all the ingredients, he placed them on the counter. he followed each of [name]'s instructions about how much of each item was needed. he placed each ingredient into a seperate bowl for [name].

"what are you planning on making? cake?" sephiroth asked as he poured out all of the ingredients. it definitely did seem like they were making a cake, not that sephiroth was complaining though. in fact, he quite liked baking if it was with [name].

[name] nodded in response, a little hum coming out of him too. "yes, a cake. hopefully it'll be good." [name] smiled, already imagining the fluffiness of the cake on his tongue.. he couldn't wait until this cake was finished. he didn't even have the ingredients ready though.

the man walked over to the counter, guiding by the subtle sounds of sephiroth pouring and measuring out ingredients. [name] took out a large bowl and he started pouring some of the ingredients in that sephiroth named him each step of the way. he was glad he had sephiroth to help him.

[name] took a whisk and he started mixing the batter together. it was taking him quite some time, so sephiroth stood behind to help. sephiroth practically ended up enveloping [name], putting his hands over the other man's to help him mix. a small chuckle was heard from [name] as he continued mixing.

"you don't have to do that, my love. i'm capable of mixing this by myself.." [name] added, a smile still on his face as he allowed sephiroth to help him stir. [name] didn't try to push sephiroth off of him, or make him stop helping. he appreciated the sentiment deeply that sephiroth wanted to spend time with him, that sephiroth wanted to share his warmth and love.

"i know you are, you don't have to keep telling me." sephiroth replied, a small chuckle escaping his own lips. he then pressed a kiss to the top of [name]'s head as they mixed the cake batter together.

soon enough, all of the ingredients were encorperated together. all that was left was to put it in the oven - which sephiroth gladly helped [name] do.

[name] wrapped his arms around sephiroth after the cake was placed in the oven. he burried his face into his lover's chest, not wanting to escape it. ever.

"thank you for helping.. for always being here for me." [name] whispered into sephiroth's chest. sephiroth smiled in response, feeling the vibrations of [name]'s words go through him.

the silver haired man started to stroke his lover's head tenderly, enjoying the peaceful moment they were both in. it was definitely quite the euphoric experience for both of them. it always was whenever they were around eachother.

"it's no problem, dear. i'll always be here for you. just call my name and i'm all yours." sephiroth responded, a smile on his lips as he looked down at his lover. he continued stroking [name]'s head, feeling content just by having the other man in his arms.

"i love you.. thank you for being my vision in a world where i am incapable of seeing." [name] whispered back, keeping his face planted in sephiroth's chest. he truly meant what he was saying, and he wanted sephiroth to know how he was feeling too.

sephiroth kissed the top of [name]'s head before he replied once more. "of course. i love you too, [name]. we're married for a reason - to be there for eachother no matter what, even if that means me being your vision. me being your eyes." sephiroth spoke softly.

[name] smiled and he squeezed sephiroth tighter than he did before. "i love you so much." the man repeated, and the two lovers kept arguing over who loved eachother more before the cake almost burnt...

- author's note: you know.. i don't actually like sephiroth (i even have a plush of him what is this...) 😭 but for you anon i shall write 😻. i hope you liked this though! hope this was domestic enough for you <3

- navigation : masterlist : requests

thanks for requesting. i accidentally deleted this draft, luckily i had a screenshot of the request.

☆ mutual

cloud strife x ftm reader [he / him]

sypnosis: above.

the lowercase is intentional !

cloud and [name] were friend ever since they were little.

sure, the two boys weren't that close with eachother, but they were still friends. even if cloud talked to tifa most of the time and went off to join the soldier program, the two of them were still friends. no matter what.

[name] had always liked cloud. the young boy liked how strong willed cloud was and how determined the blonde was to be the number one solider. it really inspired [name], and made him fawn over cloud.

but he'd never say anything, of course. he was too scared and he never knew if cloud reciprocated. [name] was a trans boy after all, so what if cloud didn't even like him as a guy? it would break the boy into little pieces. he wouldn't be able to take it.

what [name] didn't know was that cloud felt the same. cloud always liked [name], not tifa, not zack or anyone else. just [name]. he always wanted to get closer to [name] and confess, but he couldn't. he was scared of rejection, the same way that [name] was. but that didn't stop either from liking one another.

it had been a few years since the two past met, cloud had left nibelheim to join the soldier program and [name] left to explore midgar. they hadn't caught up or seen eachother ever since then.

[name] was walking around wall market, taking in the vibrant lights outside the various buildings and the bustling nightlife. he had been there multiple times before, but each time it felt like the first.

there were so many things to explore at wall market, so many things to try. that's why [name] kept coming back. it was a fun experience, not just for the honey bee in or the various attractions in honour of don corneo. the buildings themselves and the people are what attracted [name].

[name] was minding his business, doing his usual as he went around the area. he looked at a few shops, inspected some materia and weapons on display and he got some food.

the young man decided to walk around with his food, which ended up being a bad idea. there were huge crowds everywhere on this particular day, and he just happened to bump into someone.

all of [name]'s food went flying, straight onto the floor. it was all ruined. people were stepping on it as it dropped to the floor, so [name] definitely wouldn't be able to eat it anymore.

[name] groaned and he looked down at the floor in annoyance before speaking, because the person he had bumped into for some reason hadn't left yet.

"you should watch where you're going next time." [name] grumbled to himself, unsure if the other person actually heard him or not. to his surprise, they did.

"you should also watch where you're going, some people are in a hurry." the person scoffed, and their voice sounded oddly familiar.

[name] raised his eyebrow and he looked up, still annoyed at the fact that this stranger made him drop his food. "well that's not my problem, is it? my problem is the fact that you made me drop my food. i spent a lot of gil on that-"

then, that's when [name] saw who it was that bumped into him.

it was cloud.

his old friend and crush was standing right there infront of him as multiple people barged past the two of them. [name] couldn't believe his eyes.

"holy shit." [name]'s mouth dropped as he stared infront at cloud. he did not think he was going to run into cloud at wall market of all places. shouldn't he be doing some soldier training right now anyway?

[name] wasn't mistaken. he thought he was seeing things but it truly was cloud infront of him.

the striking blonde hair, but with the ponytail now gone. the blue eyes that had a hint of green in them due to the mako. the pale skin that was reflecting all of the neon signs.

it truly was cloud. [name] wasn't seeing things.

"cloud? what are you doing here?" [name] asked, scanning cloud's figure once more to triple check he wasn't hallucinating.

cloud was a little confused at first. he didn't 100% recognise who was infront of him. [name] had grown up and transitioned into being who he truly meant to be.

"[name]?" cloud responded, taking a good look at the man infront of him. it was [name], cloud wasn't hallucinating either.

[name] nodded and he immediately hugged cloud, not believing the fact that his friend was there infront of him still. he didn't know how to grasp the situation. it had been years since they last met and there were no goodbyes shared or anything.

cloud was a little startled by the sudden hug, but he decided to embrace it anyway. it wasn't going to hurt. he was just hugging his old friend.. his old crush.

cloud felt like he was a kid again.

the poor guy was blushing again and he felt his stomach churn. he couldn't believe this was happening.

why now of all times? why were the memories flooding back to him? all the times that [name] and cloud would stay up late to talk or play games.. it all came rushing back.

"i didn't think i was going to ever see you again.." [name] confessed, whispering into cloud's ear softly. he was so happy to see cloud after all these years, cloud had to know.

"neither did i." cloud responded, chuckling lightly to himself as he ended up reciprocating the hug.

he wished he could stay in [name]'s arms forever - but he couldn't. he had a mission to do for avalanche, he had to save tifa. he couldn't stay in [name]'s arms for too long. he had things to do.

"[name] i'm sorry.. i have to go." cloud sighed, stepping back from the hug and looking at [name] with a frown. he didn't want this to end so soon.

"what?" [name] also took a step back, feeling all upset now. the smile he had on his face was wiped away in instant.

the man shook his head and he grabbed cloud's arm, keeping him in place. he wasn't letting him go this time. he was going to tell him everything. he didn't care if cloud was going to be late to whatever he's doing. he was selfish, but for good reasons.

"cloud, you can't just leave me after we've not seen eachother for years!" [name] started, still keeping a firm grip on cloud's arm. he sure as hell wasn't letting the blonde go yet.

"i haven't stopped thinking of you all this time.. and now you're back but you want to leave me again." [name] sighed, letting go of cloud's arm. it seems as if he has given up so quickly.

[name] looked away, crossing his arms over his chest. there was still a frown on his face and it was clear to cloud that he was hurting.

cloud wished he could comfort [name], hug him, kiss him or something else but he couldn't. time was running out, but it felt so slow when he was around [name].

"i should've told you then that i liked you. maybe if i wasn't a coward, you wouldn't of left and we would've been able to be something then.. but it's too late." [name] sighed again. he didn't even know if cloud was listening. "something else is clearly more important, so you should probably just go and do that thing then."

cloud couldn't believe what he had just heard. [name] liked him too? well, that changes everything. maybe cloud can spare a few minutes..

"seriously?" cloud spoke up, walking closer to [name] and holding one of his hands. he couldn't believe that [name] felt the same way he did.

"that.. feeling is mutual. i liked you back then too, but i was also too scared to say anything." cloud frowned slightly and it seemed that he had forgotten about everything else going on in his life.

[name] looked back at cloud, his frown slowly fading away. he was glad that cloud shared the sentiment, even if his confession was more of a 'heat of the moment' thing.

the man took in a deep breath before he spoke again, looking at his love with a smile on his face now.

"i'm glad to know that, cloud. i really am.." [name] says as he brushes a few strands of hair out of cloud's face. "i seriously didn't think you were interested in me at all. i thought you would've fallen in love with someone at the soldier program or something." [name] laughed.

cloud smiled in return. it was a small smile, but it still managed to melt [name]'s heart after years of not seeing it.

"i'd really like to catch up someday." [name] hummed and cloud let go of him, nodding at the other's words.

"of course." cloud responded, definitely wanting to catch up with [name]. they had a lot to catch up on. dates, kisses, hugs.. and even more.

[name] cleared his throat and he looked away, remembering that cloud had something important to do.

"you should.. go now. don't you have something important to do?" [name] mumbled, a heat rising to his face as he felt suddenly embarrassed for no reason.

cloud nodded and he gave [name] a quick kiss on the cheek, letting the other know that the feelings are still there. he then walked away from [name], going to do what he had to do.

"i'm glad our feelings are mutual!" [name] called out as cloud walked away.

cloud had a huge blush on his face as he walked, feeling flustered that a bunch of people now knew about his situation with [name].

at least the feeling was mutual...

☆ author's note: hope you enjoy! for those who have been waiting for p2 of the fyodor x male reader fic, it'll be out soon i promise!! i feel so bad for making you all wait 😭 i might also start writing for re2 and re4, so you can request for characters from those games!

☆ masterlist ▪︎ request

☆ bandages and kisses

cloud strife x male reader [he / him]

sypnosis: [name] ends up bandaging cloud up after one of cloud's comissions. cloud finds himself opening up to [name] and confessing. (meant to be viewed as romantic.)

the lowercase is intentional !

- warning: cuts, bruises and blood mentioned.

"you've got to stop doing this to yourself, cloud." [name] sighed, shaking his head as he continued to wrap bandages around cloud's arm. "like, seriously. remind me how many times i've patched you up this month?"

cloud looked away, frowning a little. he didn't want to admit the amount, it was definitely too much to count. it was definitely way too much for a normal person to be bandaged up. but, of course, cloud wasn't a normal person. he was a merc, an ex-soldier carrying a bunch of burdens on his shoulders.

"..too many times." cloud mumbled, finally accepting defeat after being called out. "i'm sorry." well, that was a first. [name] had never heard cloud apologise before, so this was definitely a first for him. "i know i should take it easy, but i can't. i have a duty to fulfill, even if that means i injure myself badly because people don't know how to fight properly.."

[name] just hummed, tying up the bandage that he finished wrapping on cloud's arm. "i get it. you're strong and you want to flaunt it around by having scars." [name] teased, chuckling a little. this made cloud huff, he didn't appreciate this 'joke' [name] made.

"you have any more cuts or bruises i should check out?" [name] asks, removing his hand from cloud's arm and looking at him with a face of concern. cloud nods in response. "yeah, my chest has a few i think." he says. [name] smirked back. "pull your top off then. i can't help you if your shirt is still on." he chuckled. cloud then pulled off his top, revealing an array of scars, bruises and freshly formed wounds on his skin.

[name] whistled as he saw cloud's bare chest. it was toned and glistening in the light, a truly pretty sight to see. [name] couldn't believe he was so lucky to see this sight. he didn't think cloud was going to take his top off so quickly without a rebuttal.

"damn, you probably pick up a lot of ladies with a body like that." [name] joked. in all honestly he loved to tease cloud, it was so easy to get a reaction from the blonde. this time was no different, of course.

cloud's cheeks turned a light shade of pink and he looked away from [name]'s gaze. he couldn't stand the jokes [name] made. he didn't appreciate them one bit.

"i'm not even going to answer that." cloud muttered, his face still turned away from [name]. "just hurry up and clean my cuts. i'm getting cold." cloud sighed. it was true, he was getting cold. there were goosebumps forming on his arms and his hairs started to stand on end.

"okay, okay." [name] smiled, getting some alcohol wipes and grazing them over cloud's skin. luckily, the cuts cloud had on his chest weren't deep or that painful, so the cleaning process was quick and left cloud unharmed.

[name] continues cleaning up cloud's few cuts with some wipes before speaking up again. "i must say, you're complaining about being cold but your shirt has no sleeves anyway. how are you not cold all the time?" he asks, genuinely curious about how cloud was not cold in that tank top. if it was [name] wearing it during the winter, he'd definitely freeze to death. maybe it was because cloud was an 'ex-SOLDIER' or because of the whole mako thing. either way, [name] didn't get it.

"..what? not appreciative of my jokes today?" [name] cocked his head to the side, smirking slightly at cloud to get a rise out of him. "i mean, yeah, the ladies probably love the tank top and your bod and all, but i don't understand how you don't get cold wearing that." [name] simply stated, shrugging before continuing to clean cloud's wounds.

"i bet tifa loves all of it." [name] mumbled to himself with a smirk still playing on his face.

that's when cloud had enough of [name]'s games. he was fed up by all of this talk about ladies.. and his body.. and now tifa.

"i don't want tifa to love my body, or whatever you're implying." cloud replied, sighing. he was growing more and more frustrated by [name]'s comments, but he couldn't grow too angry. [name] was patching him up and the one most dearest to cloud. "i want you to.." it slips out in a whisper, completely by accident.

[name] stops for a second. he didn't know if he heard correctly, so he just threw away the dirtied wipe into the nearby bin and he laughed.

"oh." [name] laughs, thinking it was cloud's turn in telling jokes. however, by the look on cloud's face (his blush, and eyes darting everywhere to not look at [name]) it was obvious the blonde was not joking.

"shit. you're being for real?" [name] asks, tilting his head and raising a brow at his friend. "i always assumed you were into tifa- i mean, you guys were always close back then and now you are.. i guess?" [name] sighed before speaking up again. "men are confusing." he says, as if he is not a man himself.

"i'm serious." cloud speaks up, a little flustered and embarrassed by this whole ordeal. he never expected that he'd fumble this bad and confess in the most stupid and unromantic way ever. "i want you to love my body.. not just my body though, that sounds weird." cloud's voice is quiet, and seemingly nervous. definitely a different and more vulnerable cloud than the one [name] was used to.

[name] hummed in response and he finally finished wiping down cloud's chest, putting a few plasters on the really bad areas. he then handed the blonde his tank top, watching him put it back on. [name] smiled a little at cloud before he spoke up.

"i do love your body.." [name] joked again, staring at cloud with a sickeningly sweet smile. "but i love all of you too." he admitted, taking one of cloud's gloved hands into his own. "i just thought you were into tifa." [name] repeats, shaking his head. "so i didn't say anything, just incase you did actually like her."

cloud was now totally flustered. even though [name] was holding his hand through a glove, cloud could feel everything about [name]'s hand. it was driving him crazy. in a good way, of course.

"i should probably stop mention tifa now.. you literally just said something and i just confessed so, this is not the right moment.." [name] muttered, laughing nervously as he met cloud's eyes. "but, i mean it. you know, the whole 'i love all of you' thing. seriously." [name] continued.

cloud nodded and he smiled back at [name], taking in a deep breath before he spoke himself. "thank you.." he says, feeling the need to say it. nobody had ever confessed to him before, so he didn't know what to say. sure, people flirted with him on the streets calling him a 'hot merc', but this was different. this was an actual confession. "i love all of you too.. i mean it." cloud whispers.

[name] grins even wider, if that was even possible. he then leans over and places a small kiss on cloud's forehead.

"i'm glad you feel the same way, then." [name] replied, stroking cloud's gloved hand. "we should probably go out some time, don't you think? we'd make an awesome couple." [name] smirked.

cloud laughed this time, looking at [name] with a slight tint of pink dusting his cheeks. "of course, i'd love to go out with you some time." cloud said, feeling the happiest he had ever felt in ages.

"next time i have to patch you up, i'm giving you lots of kisses. just a heads up." [name] hummed, kissing cloud's forehead yet again. "every cut or bruise you get is one kiss from me." [name] said before leaning down and kissing one of the cuts on cloud's arm.

"i guess i'll get some more bruises on my next comission then." cloud joked, loving the way [name] was making him feel right now. he felt so loved and happy in that moment, he never wanted it to end.

cloud was sure looking forward to the next time he'd get tended to by [name]. instead of them being friends, it'd now be a boyfriend treating his boyfriend with lots of kisses. cloud absolutely loved the idea of that.

☆ author's note: this took so long to write. i'll try get requests done but i have absolutely zero time management help me. i hope this is actually somewhat adequate.

☆ requests ▪︎ masterlist

okay this is just me being mad about something irrelevant so feel free to skip this one but! i was scrolling away on youtube, as a bored final fantasy fan who was away from home does. then, i find this video:

i see this and go 'oh my gosh, my favorite. an uninformed idiot made a whole video. can't wait to hate watch!" little did i know i would barely make it two minutes in. i save the video, and when i get home, i start dinner and turn this on.

according to this guy, the first thing the game "doesn't tell you"... is what punisher mode is. you know, the like, major function of cloud's kit. that they explain. and i was so mad i closed the video, went downstairs to my faithful ps5, and slotted the data disc into it to redownload the whole game to prove this guy wrong.

a half hour later (i went and finished my dinner while it was downloading dw) i start a new game, and lo and behold, literally like, four battles in, is the explanation for punisher mode:

JESUS CHRIST. WHAT THE FUCK??? anyway. i was so mad and i'm literally right and i don't care i just needed this out of my noggin.

i love leslie kyle. he's:

1) helping literal terrorists go do more terrorism bc at least they're not his sex trafficking mob boss

2) just looking for his fiancee/girlfriend (he says girlfriend in TKAA:ATSS but says fiancee in remake continuity so...)

3) going to eventually becomes friends/coworkers with kyrie canaan. the future angel of the slums kyrie canaan.

4) voiced by mark whitten. i just like him, really.

5) still wearing that UGLY LEOPARD PRINT JACKET. STILL.

are other people making "hopes and dreams in part 3" bingo boards?? i was thinking about it and made a list of like 30+ things to put on the board (a LOT of them are definitely only dreams and won't happen but i thought of them and want them to happen so...)

if other people are, or have ideas, pleeease let me know i'm so curious what other people expect or hope for from part 3

"Are you comfortable, sir?"

------

Adding scars, coloring page and adding some extra panel... done!!

now i can continue with my life~

*bonus: quickie bed hair Tseng*

Cloud Strife

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Ex-First Class SOLDIER

Haven't been drawing quiet sometime but then here he is, I had just played the game now and teared me up :'D Hope You Like It! 🌻😸

Ghidorah’s Entrance with “Those Chosen by the Planet” and “One-Winged Angel - Rebirth” by Nobuo Uematsu from Final Fantasy VII Remake.

I never actually played any of the Final Fantasy games, although I did listen to some of their tracks, entirely from FF7, FF7: Advent Children, and FF7 Remake. They do look amazingly good though, I won’t lie.

Credit to The Toho Society on Twitter for the musicless scene.

Link: https://twitter.com/thetohosociety/status/1171643674670841857?s=21

I FINALLY GOT FF7 REMAKE. TIME TO PLAY IT.

I'm sick and tired of these FF7 fans who want/say that the FF7R Trilogy will be 100% like the OG

Ok, but if the trilogy is the same as the OG, then why go all the way to add the characters defying destiny? Why add Zack being alive in some parallel universe? Why add Aerith and Sephiroth knowing more than they should?

I think it would be pretty pointless to have the characters defy LITERAL DESTINY only for events to play the same as the original. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

The developers of FF7R specifically said that NEW MYSTERIES would be added to the trilogy, yet the themes of the story and key plot events will remain intact, it will just play out way differently than the OG. Nearly everyone in the FF7 fandom, including popular influences, agrees that things in FF7R will be changed. Even the developers of Remake said many contradictory statements about the game being the same as OG.

I'm going to die on this hill and you cannot stop me.

Sephiroth wing headcannons

Sephiroth goes through molting season

He can not fly during this time, everything hurts, and feathers are everywhere. It's an absolute mess.

He normally molts outside in a place less crowded with people. God forbid feathers get all over his clothes.

Baths help with loosening up his feathers. He uses a natural body of water if he can find one, He may also bring a ton of blankets to keep his temperature stable.

He has to vacuum his room twice a week. That's how many feathers he sheds

His wing is sometimes extremely sensitive, and he hates it when it is touched. He doesn't want to be seen as vulnerable, so he mostly keeps it tucked in and only gets it out as needed.

Now, if someone tries to RESTRAIN Sephiroth's wing, then hoo boy, that's a different story. Do that to him, and a different side of Sephiroth will show.

He sleeps using his wing as a blanket

Sephiroth sometimes prefers to wear loose-fitting clothes or no clothes at all, especially during molting season, to give his wing more space.

AGREED

We need Vincent 💯

please square i am begging you for my vampire bf

Sleepy Sephiroth Emoji!

This is the emoji, "Sleepy Sephiroth." This is the second Sephiroth emoji I've completed so far! I plan to make some of Angeal, Genesis, and Zack as well-- possible even CC Cloud and Aerith. They are coming out very cute so far, I think 🥰

Finished/Published Emojis:

Sephiroth Emojis: Shrugging | Sleepy

I'm currently working on these emojis for my SOLDIER group chat(FF7CC) 'leaks' Tumblr page.

"Just A Dedicated First-Class Fan" is a blog-based fanfiction/narrative set in the world of Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core, where a huge fan of the first-class SOLDIERs from ShinRa hacks into their group chats and leaks the things they find out to the fans following their blog. The story is updated with each blog post.

The entire page is made by me and is posted officially under Fanfictions & Fantasies! I use Google Docs to create all of the 'Discord Screenshots' using a table I formatted myself, as well as graphics I designed myself, all with the intention of replicating the Discord UI. If you're interested in the concept of this project, please check out the blog! All the emojis I will be working on are for this blog, so I would appreciate feedback! ♡

Shrugging Sephiroth Emoji! 🥰

This is the emoji, "Shrugging Sephiroth." His is the first of many! I plan to make some of Angeal, Genesis, and Zack as well-- possible even CC Cloud and Aerith. They are coming out very cute so far, I think 🥰

I'm currently working on these emojis for my SOLDIER group chat(FF7CC) 'leaks' Tumblr page.

"Just A Dedicated First-Class Fan" is a blog-based fanfiction/narrative set in the world of Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core, where a huge fan of the first-class SOLDIERs from ShinRa hacks into their group chats and leaks the things they find out to the fans following their blog. The story is updated with each blog post.

The entire page is made by me and is posted officially under Fanfictions & Fantasies! I use Google Docs to create all of the 'Discord Screenshots' using a table I formatted myself, as well as graphics I designed myself, all with the intention of replicating the Discord UI. If you're interested in the concept of this project, please check out the blog! All the emojis I will be working on are for this blog, so I would appreciate feedback! ♡

Stargazer Lilies

Clerith(Cloud x Aerith) One-Shot

WARNING: Suicidal topics, blood, mentions of death, and major spoilers for the original FFVII, however there are no sexual themes.

NOTE: This is a canon-divergent fanfiction, meaning it uses elements from the canon of FFVII but does not follow the canon in its entirety.

Words: 5882

Date Published: 2023-08-25

Summary:

After Sephiroth kills Aerith, Cloud is so distraught that he tries to kill himself later that night, but is unsuccessful. Barrett and Tifa manage to get him to a hospital to recover, but Cloud remains in a comatose state. While he is unconscious, Cloud is teetering so close to the lifestream that he is able to meet Aerith once again.

Life Goes On

“Aerith is gone.” “Aerith will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry……or get angry……” “What about my pain?” “My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!”

——————————

Cloud lay wide awake that night, the image of Aerith’s bloodied corpse burned into the backs of his eyeballs. No matter where he looked, nor whether he kept his eyes open or chose to shut them, she was there, floating ethereally in his vision like a goddess. Her soft pink dress was damp with blood and water, her hair was without the signature pink bow she always wore, allowing it to flow freely in the water beneath her, and her eyes were eternally closed, yet despite all of that, she remained ever beautiful even in her last moments. Oh, how he missed looking into her bright verdant eyes already. Not even the healthiest of plants could compare to the richness of her gorgeous eyes.

 She was the light of his life. Even when he handed the black materia over to Sephiroth, she didn’t blame him. Even when he threw her to the ground in a fit of rage over his accidental betrayal, she didn’t fight back. She always put others first– always made sure to show Cloud that he mattered, and not just to his friends, but to her. Aerith was always so kind, so gentle…so heavenly. She was not only enchanting in her looks, but in her personality too. She was so full of compassion and pure love; not just towards humans, but toward animals and the planet alike. He never met anyone like her, and he knew he would never meet anyone like her again. The time he may have known her was short, but she meant everything to him. Aerith was gone…and he felt like he was nothing without her.

Cloud sat up in his bed, clutching his temple as his brain began to pound against the back of his eyes. With it came the loud buzzing of an intruder, and his vision became filled with static.

“You…are a puppet.”

Cloud grunted, a bead of sweat dribbling down his hot neck under the cover of his blonde hair as Sephiroth’s words rang in his ears. That was right…he was a puppet– Sephiroth’s puppet. That was all he was, and nothing more. Cloud thought he was traveling the world to save it, but he was following the call of his master all along. If he was anything more than a puppet, he wouldn’t have given Sephiroth the black materia. If he was anything more, Aerith wouldn’t have died.

His head was throbbing so violently that it was unbearable! In a fit of confusion and rage, Cloud threw his legs off of the bed and groaned as he jumped to his feet and lunged for the buster sword. Sephiroth may have been the master of his body, but he refused to let him be the master of his mind. He remembered the way Sephiroth tried to force him to kill Aerith before Sephiroth himself stepped in to finish her off when he realized Cloud wasn’t going to. All this time he had been trying so hard to protect her from Sephiroth, but he never once considered that he was to blame for her demise. It was all his fault, and he needed to put an end to this. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he hurt Barret or Tifa, let alone anyone else he held dearly.

He would finish this once and for all.

“Cloud?!” Tifa exclaimed, her red eyes wide with shock as she jolted awake. She was taken aback and unsure of what to do, she shook Barret awake. Then, she turned back to him, shouting his name once more as Barret chimed in. He didn’t seem to hear either of them.

“I refuse..to be a pawn in your game any longer, Sephiroth!!”

Cloud shouted as he raised the buster sword above his head, only to bring it down, burying its tip deep into his gut. He choked, blood squirting out of his throat with a sharp inhale. He took a step back, stumbling into his bed as he plunged the sword deeper with the intent of ripping his organs out. The buzzing in his ears faded, but everything else did too. He couldn’t hear his friends when they came running to his side, but he could see the way they scrambled to save him. While Tifa fell to his side and held him to her chest, Barret ripped the buster sword’s handle away from his trembling hands and took it into his own so that Cloud could do no more damage. He couldn’t tell what they were saying, but he could feel the way Tifa violently quivered as he lay there bleeding.

“Aerith’s death…is all because of me,” Cloud choked, only for Tifa to lay a finger over his lips in an attempt to quiet him, but he continued, “Sephiroth– I am only..his puppet… but…not anymore.” He could feel the way the two lifted his weakening body off of the bed, but that was the extent of what he could remember before his world consciousness faded and his world evanesced.

——————————

“Cloud…”

“Clouuud~!”

“Are you alright?” A familiar female voice called out. Despite sounding concerned, it was ever gentle. It was sweet like honey, and it was smooth like silk. The voice made Cloud feel so safe, as if he was being hugged by his mother once again. He didn’t think he had the strength to pull himself out of the depths of the loving embrace it had around his heart.

“Oh, don’t tell me you died already! That would be silly.” The voice playfully endearingly taunted, “The Cloud I know is stronger than that.”

Ethereal light filtered into his vision as Cloud’s eyes fluttered open, momentarily blinding him and forcing his eyes shut once more. He squinted, only able to open his eyes fully as he felt a shadow come over the bright light. The calming smell of flowers overwhelmed his senses, and a wave of nostalgia sent a flood of shivers down his spine at the scent. Ever since he had met Aerith that fateful day in Midgar, the smell of flowers had always brought a sort of otherworldly tranquility to him that he had never known before. The smell was beautiful, just like her.

Cloud sat up, holding his head in his hands as he attempted to clear his mind and make sense of the situation. With a gasp, Cloud’s body jerked backward at the sight that lay before him as his focusing vision revealed the face of Aerith– the lovely flower girl he watched die mere hours earlier.

“Aerith,” Cloud stammered, sweat rolling down the side of his forehead as a shameful blush overtook his cheeks, “I–”

“Shh, I know,” Aerith softly reassured him as she offered him a smile and gently pressed her finger to his lips, “It’s okay.”

‘But you–’ was all he could muster before Aerith wrapped her arms around him, burying his reddening face in the crook of her neck. She held him so close to her that she could feel the way he trembled with every breath and the way he sweated as heat radiated off of his body, even as she closed her eyes. She could tell that he regretted ever hurting her or ever trying to hurt her, though she never bore a grudge against him, as she knew it wasn’t his fault. The Cloud she knew was anxious and closed off, but deep down she knew he cared for others. She knew he was a kind soul and she loved him for it. She cherished their time together from the bottom of her heart– she only wished it hadn’t been so short.

“It’s okay.” She repeated, her tone quiet and tender, “You don’t need to say anything…”

Aerith always knew what to say. Aerith always knew what to do. Cloud loved her more than anything on Gaia and in life itself. Losing her meant that he lost his entire world, and he didn’t know how to live on. It had only been mere hours, but he missed her more than she would ever know. He couldn’t help it when he began to stagger his breaths as a flood of tears came crashing down, and his entire body grew hot with sorrow. For minutes on end, the two of them sat in verbal silence, but that didn’t matter; there were no words powerful enough to describe the relief Cloud felt at being able to see her again. Being able to be held in her arms was enough.

“Aerith…” Cloud eventually pulled away to look into her eyes, his own still glossy and red from crying, as he sniffled, “I…I’m sorry. If I hadn’t given Sephiroth the black materia, you would–”

“What did I say?” Aerith cut him off, a playful tone returning to her otherwise soft words to lighten the mood, “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”

Cloud drew a deep, shaky breath, stunned into silence at her words. How could she not blame him after everything he had done? He was nothing but Sephiroth’s puppet, and his inability to fight back against Sephiroth was what cost her his life. If he hadn’t given Sephiroth the black materia, and if he had been able to control his body when he needed to protect her most, she would still be alive. It was all his damn fault, and he knew it. How could she–

“I know what you’re thinking,” Aerith drew him out of his thoughts, “And no matter what you say or do, there’s nothing you can do to convince me that any of this is your fault.” Aerith rolled backward onto her shins, and she traced her hands down Cloud’s arms where they landed on his knuckles. Her gaze shifted downward, fixated on their hands as she flipped them over and curled their fingers together. “That wasn’t you, and that never was you. The Cloud I know is strong, kind, handsome…and most of all, he cares for his friends. He would never do anything to hurt the people he loves... I saw the way you struggled every time he tried to steal your mind away, and I know that you tried your hardest to fight back against him…and that’s all that matters to me.”

Silence ensued once more, but not from lack of knowing what to say. Rather, Cloud was taken aback by her intuition and how she knew that Sephiroth had been trying to control him throughout their journey, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask her why. There wasn’t anything that could get past her it seemed, and that was yet another part of her that he loved. She was wise, just like the Cetra that came before her were said to be. Everything about Aerith was brilliant, and the more he learned about her, the more she blew him away. Why did the world have to take the good ones away? Life was so cruel.

“You don’t deserve this.” Cloud began after moments of contemplation. His voice was much more stable as his tears began to wash away, but his eyes remained set on the way she so tenderly intertwined their fingers. Her hands were small and delicate compared to his, but he knew she was stronger than he would ever be, and that was what gave him the strength to calm himself for the time being. If she could hold herself together, he would too, for her sake. “And if you don’t blame me for your death, then there’s nothing I can do to convince you. You’re too stubborn.”

“Oh yeah? And what does that make you?” Aerith teased, giggling. The way she was able to make light of any situation without making it any less significant was something only an angel directly descended from the heavens could do. “If I’m the stubborn one, then…I guess you must be some immovable wall. Not even the strongest of my waves can force you to come tumbling down, huh?”

“I didn’t mean to– sorry.” Cloud blushed, looking away from their hands and at the church. Just like when he met her for the second time back in the slums, they seemed to be seated in Aerith’s flowerbed, which was filled with stargazer lilies. “Forget I said anything.” Cloud pulled their hands away as he stood up to get a better view of their surroundings.

Aerith sat there for a moment longer, still staring down at their hands before she lifted her gaze, then finally pulled herself off of the ground and dusted herself off. “I bet you’re curious, huh?”

“...Yeah.” Cloud nodded, wiping his tears away before he continued to look around the place. He took a few steps forward, careful to navigate his way out of her flowerbed. “This looks just like the church I met you in– the church in the slums. How’s that?”

“You came crashing through my ceiling again…though I always have boys crashing down from the heavens and onto my flowerbed, it seems.” She chuckled, “But it’s okay. Like I said before, my flowers are strong. They can take it.”

“I’ll try not to do it anymore.” Cloud apologized in a joking manner that betrayed his static tone of voice as he continued to slowly walk around the church. It was strange to him– this place looked and felt real but there was no wind, and the further he looked through the windows of the church, he noticed it became unnaturally blurry. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see past a certain barrier. 

“Well, I’d hope you’re not doing it on purpose. That would just be mean.” Aerith teased. She always loved doing that.

The two were silent for a few minutes, but it was never tense. Aerith slowly walked over to Cloud, following him around with her hands behind her back as he investigated the place. He was quick to notice the way the buildings remained just as blurry the closer he got to them as they had been from far away, even with how close he was to the exit of the church, and he realized how white the sky beyond those far-off buildings was, too.

“Am I dead?” Finally came the question out of Cloud’s lips.

“Hmm..”

Cloud looked over his shoulder before fully turning to face Aerith, an expecting look in his eyes. 

“Not quite.” Aerith finally answered after moments of leaving Cloud on edge, though she hadn’t done so to spook him. “The lifestream is my home now, but as for you...I think you’re just visiting.”

“How so?” Cloud asked, slightly raising a brow.

“Well,” Aerith started, her eyes softening with worry once more, “I can still hear Tifa and Barret calling out to you. Can you hear them?”

Cloud took a moment, trying his best to listen to no avail. He shook his head.

“You’re in the hospital, I think. I can hear the slow beeping of a heart monitor.”

“So why can’t I hear it?” Cloud asked, still trying to hear what Aerith was hearing.

“Dunno.” She shrugged, “Maybe you’re choosing not to hear it?”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Well…I saw the way you brought yourself here. I’ve been watching you since I died, y’know. I saw the way you shouted something, then…” she trailed off, frowning.

“I…” Cloud fell silent, ashamed of himself. While he still wanted to die if it meant saving his friends from him ever losing control again, he was thoroughly ashamed to admit the fact that he attempted to kill himself to Aerith… “I heard him again. Sephiroth, he..he was trying to take over again. I didn’t know what he wanted at that time, but...I wasn’t going to let him hurt the only people I had left.”

“Is that all there is to it?” Aerith asked, still frowning. She wasn’t upset at him, but she hated to see him so broken up the way he was. Besides, she knew Cloud– the way he didn’t like to admit to everything, even if it was just to himself.

Cloud was confused by that question. What else would there be to it? He didn’t want to hurt his friends, and if it meant killing himself so Sephiroth couldn’t control him any longer, then so be it. It wasn’t like he was anything more than a puppet, anyway– and he refused to bend to Sephiroth’s will.

——————————

The soft glow of moonlight filtered into the otherwise dim room that had only been lit up by the soft light of a heart monitor moments prior. There was a gentle breeze from a nearby window that had been cracked open, but not even the cool touch of the wind could provide solace to the room’s current inhabitants. After Cloud had stabbed himself in the gut it seemed like there would be no saving him, but by the speedy actions of Barret and Tifa as they brought Cloud’s body to The Highwind, Cid was able to quickly pilot them to a nearby hospital. Typically, with a wound that big and with that much blood loss, a normal person would have been dead by the time it took them to make it to The Highwind, but perhaps due to the mako that flowed through Cloud’s veins, he was able to make it just long enough to be hooked up to a heart monitor and have his wounds patched up. 

Barrett and Tifa now sat close to one another in the dimly lit room. While Barrett was leaning forward with his elbows resting on his inner thighs, Tifa sat with her face buried against his firm arm, hiding the side of her face with her curled-up hand. Their tears had long since dried, but they were still deathly worried about the state of their friend. Even with all that he had done, they couldn’t bring themselves to blame Cloud either– they cared for him immensely and wished they knew what had driven him to this point. Was it because he blamed himself for Aerith’s death? They both remembered the bone-chilling terror they felt when they watched him stab the buster sword into his abdomen and the way he shouted something about not allowing Sephiroth to control him any longer as he did so, but they both questioned the validity of their memories with how distraught the two of them were.

“Wake up, dammit…” Barret mumbled as his hand curled up into a tight ball, causing the palms of his hands to brighten from the pressure. His eyes had been staring so deeply into Cloud as if he believed staring at him long enough would force the boy awake, but he knew that wasn’t the way things worked. Defeated, Barret hung his head and whispered, “We can’t afford to lose you too.”

——————————

Cloud now sat outside of the church, one knee curled to his chest with the corresponding forearm upon its peak while the other leg lay extended on the ground. He still couldn’t quite grasp what Aerith meant by her question, however, he was more glad to see Aerith than anything, so it was she who truly occupied his mind. He had been looking straight ahead at the whiteness of the sky, and its pure color reminded him just how clear and kindhearted Aerith was. He looked up at her, and upon catching his gaze in her peripherals, Aerith stopped what he was doing and smiled at him. “You bored yet? There’s not much to do here if I’m honest…” She sighed, although her smile remained as her eyes dropped back to the floor.

“I don’t mind. It’s nice here.” Cloud admitted, his eyes returning to the horizon, “There’s no war, no violence, no anger, no despair…just you and me.”

“And there are certainly no other people here!” Aerith chuckled, “But you like that, don’t you? I never took you as a people’s person.”

Cloud smiled abruptly, “Yeah…never was a fan of ‘em.” 

“It doesn’t bother you that you’ll never see another person besides me again?” Aerith inquired, looking back at Cloud, though he did not return her gaze. 

He simply shook his head, “No, not really.”

“And what about Tifa? What about Barret? Or Yuffie, Red XIII…or the rest of your friends?”

“I can make an exception for them.” Cloud joked, “Though..I would rather they not end up here. Since we’re dead n’all.”

"They're worried sick about you, Cloud." Aerith frowned, "I heard Barret calling out to you earlier, and the way Tifa was shouting at you when they brought you in– before you even woke up here. They miss you, Cloud. Does that really not bother you?"

Cloud frowned, his gaze hardening as he lowered it to the ground, almost as if he was shameful. He was silent for a moment, but then he sighed, "Let them be worried. As long as I'm not there to hurt them, they'll be okay. They just..have to be strong and get through this. This is the first time I've had an entirely clear head in years, Aerith. I can't feel Sephiroth in my veins here. I can't hurt you or anyone else anymore. It's better this way." He raised his head yet again, though he continued staring off at the sky rather than looking her way, "Trust me."

"I can't believe you." Aerith squatted, making herself eye-level with Cloud, practically commanding his gaze her way, and finally, she got it in return. "You're telling me you're gonna let them fight Sephiroth alone? You're just gonna give up and take the easy way out?"

Cloud was at a loss for words. She was scolding him like she was his mother and yet he couldn't find it in himself to dismiss what she said. He did feel horrible for leaving them behind, and he felt even worse for it once he looked into Aerith's disappointed eyes, but he steeled himself. "It's better this way, Aerith," he hated being at odds with her but he stood his ground, "At least like this, they won't have to worry about fighting me and Sephiroth at the same time. Instead, they can just focus on taking him down."

"And what makes you think they're going to have to fight you?" Aerith asked, "You're their friend– not their enemy. They love you, and I know you love them. They need you, Cloud. They can't face him alone."

Cloud was silent once more before he let out a sigh, "You know the way he's able to take control of me. If I go to fight Sephiroth, they'll end up–"

"Don't even finish that sentence." Aerith lowered herself onto her knees and scooted closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder as she searched his eyes for understanding, "I know you. Sephiroth..he tried to make you hurt me, didn't he? But you fought against him. You didn't let it happen. I know you're strong enough to fight back when it really comes down to it." 

"I…maybe…" Cloud's eyebrows furrowed, and unable to stand the weight of his guilt, he looked away. He shook his head, "I can't go back."

"Cloud…" She called with a voice so soft it could be mistaken for a whisper. She tilted her head as she reached out for Cloud's cheek, cupping it into her hands. She gently directed his gaze toward her as she placed her other hand on the opposite cheek and she offered him a sorry smile, "It's okay to want to stay here…but I can't let you."

"Why?" Cloud asked, his voice quiet as well, "It's safer this way. If I stay here by your side, I can't hurt them."

"Because, Cloud…I need you to be honest with yourself. Is that really all there is to it?"

There came the question again. What more was she referring to? Cloud closed his eyes for a moment, redirecting his thoughts as he desperately dug through them for an answer. Aerith had always been such a wise lady– she wasn't the type to be persistent just because she could. Even in her times of silliness, her actions always had meaning; they always had intelligence behind them. Aerith was brilliant. Not only was she smart, but she understood people. Aerith understood the parts of Cloud that he did not, and she drew them out. He knew that there was something he wasn't getting, and he realized there was something Aerith thought he could only understand if she was able to make him see it for himself.

"Think, Cloud." She tilted her head forward and brought his closer in turn, allowing their foreheads to press against one another as both of their eyes closed. The green, white, and blue light of the lifestream enveloped the area upon the shared contact of their foreheads, shifting their surroundings to match that of Aerith's home in the sector 5 slums down on Gaia, "Think." 

Cloud could feel as reality shifted under his feet. He could feel the way his body now sat in a field of flowers atop an incline, and although the wind remained stagnant, he could feel how pure the air was against his skin. As Aerith slipped her head and hands away, his eyes fluttered open, allowing him to take in the beauty of her garden for what it was. He was met with Aerith now sitting on her shins once more, her hands overlapping one another as they lay in her lap, and a loving smile on her face. He couldn't help it when his cheeks grew rosy from the sight of that tender smile and the way she looked upon him with nothing but pure admiration in her eyes. Aerith was gorgeous, and these flower fields only amplified her charm.

"Oh Cloud," she giggled without saying another word. She recognized the way he looked at her– the way he blushed –and even without him having to say anything, she knew what he was thinking. Cloud was too innocent to have dirty thoughts, she knew, so it was clear to her that his look was one of wonder and love for her. Cloud was so precious, and that was exactly why she needed to make him see what he was missing for himself. She always found teaching through actions rather than telling through words to be a more effective lesson.

"Sorry." Cloud hadn’t quite realized how long he had been staring at Aerith and it embarrassed him to think about it, so he promptly peeled his eyes away and chose to take in the scenery. Just like their previous landscape, the further away he looked from their current location, it got unnaturally blurry, and the sky remained as white as ever. “So why did you bring me here?”

“Just thought a change of scenery would be nice.” Aerith smiled for a moment before she looked in the direction Cloud had been. The two of them now looked at the house Aerith used to share with Elmyra, and she could feel an air of sorrow come about the longer they dwelled on it.

“She was always so kind to me… Even when I didn’t deserve it.” Aerith started, her words tender. “Take care of her for me, won’t you?”

“I’m sure they will.”

“Not them– you, silly.” Aerith turned to Cloud, nudging his shoulder with her hand, “Like I said...I’m not letting you die yet.”

“How’s that?” Cloud challenged, “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t want to go back.”

“Because…” Aerith hummed, “I know what you’ve told yourself, why you’re here, and…it’s all a lie.”

Cloud grunted in confusion as his baby blues trailed over to look at Aerith, though it was now her who wouldn’t return his gaze. As she continued to stare off at the house she grew up in, he saw her eyebrows furrowed in worry. Cloud wasn’t sure what to say to that. After all, how could he be lying? He killed himself, or at least tried to, because he didn’t want to be Sephiroth’s puppet. He didn’t want to hurt his friends anymore. Aerith may not have blamed him for her death, but he thoroughly believed it was his fault. Just what part of that was a lie?

Cloud took a moment to dig deep into the meaning of her words. Was he not being honest with himself as she said? Tifa always told him that he tended to be stubborn, so perhaps that stubbornness was at play here. “I’m lost.” He admitted, lowering his head. She, however, didn’t say anything in return, leaving him to sink further into his thoughts. As he hung his head, Cloud slowly closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel the earth. He could feel the way the dirt brushed against the cloth of his pants, and he could smell the sweet yet subtle scent of tranquility the flowers around them gave off. That smell always made him think of Aerith…perhaps that was why he felt so happy here. Perhaps that was why he didn’t want to go back. The real word was so uncertain and frightening that he didn’t want to return, but then…wouldn’t that make him a coward? Was it truly so bad that he didn’t want to return to a reality as cruel as Gaia– the very same reality that so coldly ripped Aerith away from him?

Perhaps…he just didn’t want to leave Aerith.

His lungs expanded as he drew a long, deep breath, and then Cloud returned to utter silence once more. He realized that although it felt nice to breathe, he didn’t need to. He couldn’t even hear Aerith breathing. Was it because they were dead? It was chilling to think that their bodies no longer required oxygen to sustain themselves, though it wasn’t something Cloud truly found horrifying. The thought of being a part of the lifestream should have been haunting, but Cloud felt so safe here. For once in his life, he felt happy. Just being here with Aerith was enough for him. He loved her.

Cloud gasped, his eyes shooting open as they flickered over to Aerith. He pined for her eyes to meet his, but she continued to stare off at the horizon. Although she wouldn’t meet his eyes, he could feel that there was a different air about them, and he could see that there was pain in her otherwise strong eyes.

He blinked. Suddenly, the sky was no longer pure white, but a cool amethyst gradient that faded into a golden glow, as if the sun were now setting. Although there hadn’t been any wind here thus far, a gentle breeze began to pick up that ruffled her chocolate locks and made her look more like a goddess than ever before. However, she still didn’t return his gaze. 

“Aerith, I…” Cloud began, his eyes twinkling under the setting sun, “I love you.”

Aerith tilted her head aside, reaching her delicate hands to the rose-colored bow that held her hair up. Her fingers searched for the inner sanctum of her ribbon, only for her to pull it loose, allowing a mahogany ocean of hair to come crashing down.

“I know.” Was all she said as she looked down at the ribbon she now held. Cloud couldn’t see her eyes past her hair, but he didn’t need to. He could feel the bittersweet relief radiating off of her as she sat in complete silence, and in that moment he caught himself wondering just what was going on inside her head. His heart was pounding in his ears and he could feel himself begin to tremble ever so slightly as his skin grew clammy. The palms of his hands were sweaty against the leather fabric of his gloves, but he couldn’t pry his eyes off of the beauty that was Aerith.

“That’s why I can’t let you stay here.” Aerith slowly raised her head, finally returning Cloud’s long-awaited gaze. There were wet streaks on both of her cheeks and the ribbon she held had damp, darkened spots from her tears. She let out a small chuckle that crackled with pain and joy as she scooted closer to Cloud, keeping the ribbon in hand. She now sat knee to knee with him, their eyes forever interlocked in a mutually sorrowful gaze. Careful not to break their eye contact, Aerith reached for Cloud’s hands and took them into her own, curling her ribbon into the palms of his hands.

“There’s so much you need to do, Cloud. So many people you need to save. So many people who need your guidance and love.” Aerith spoke with reverence towards Cloud, “Sephiroth is going to use Meteor soon, and..I know I’m not the only one you cherish. Tifa, Barrett, Vincent, Cid, Yuffie, Red XIII, Marlene..and many more– so many people love you and need you, Cloud…which is why you need to go. I can’t bear to see the way you would break if they ended up like me.”

“You’re right…” Cloud’s eyebrows curled with shame, “I’m sorry. All you’ve ever wanted to do is help me. I can’t believe the way I–”

“Don’t blame yourself.” Aerith cut him off, squeezing his hands, “We all get sad sometimes, and that’s okay. What matters is that we’re able to pick ourselves up and keep moving after we fall.”

“Thank you, Aerith.” Cloud pulled her closer, returning the squeeze of her hands with an equally loving one of his own. “You’ve done so much for me. More than you’ll ever know.”

“I’m glad.” She smiled. She closed her eyes and lowered her head against his collarbone. “Just don’t forget me, okay?”

Taking the ribbon into his hand, Cloud released the grip he had on her hands and wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a warm hug as he now gripped the bow against her back. Unlike the way they embraced when he first got here, it was now she who was silently crying against him, though that didn’t make her any weaker for it. It was okay to be sad, he learned. It was okay to cry. It was okay to be angry, even. All these emotions were a part of being human, and Aerith taught him that. All that mattered was that they were able to pick themselves up and keep living on in spite of it all. No matter what life threw at him, he would get back up– not just for Aerith or his friends, but for himself. He was more than a puppet; he was a human being who had people he loved, and people who loved him. 

He would face Sephiroth, and he refused to back down this time. There wasn’t a thing he didn’t cherish, and he would protect Gaia with all of his being. Even if he didn’t succeed, all that mattered was that he tried his hardest to protect what mattered most. It wasn’t his genetics that determined whether he was human or not, but what he decided to do with himself, and if it meant fighting for the right to exist, so be it. He refused to back down.

“I’ll never forget you, Aerith."

I turned the black materia scene into Sefikura content bc I got inspired 😈 eat up y'all

Got inspired to draw this scene for some reason today 🥲

Flower Crown

I absolutely didn't liked Sephiroth when I first played FF7, (Shocker I know) but this man had grown on to me, I absolutely love him, especially in Crisis Core and to me his hair in CCR looks so much fluffier, anyway I wanted to do a little Fluffy story, cause I love Sephi when he's being so fluffy🥰

Sephiroth x Reader

You pluck some of the beautiful flowers that were growing among your garden, as you picked some of the flowers you heard a rustling as someone walk up to you,

"what are you doing my darling" you instantly smiled when you knew who it was,

"Sephi come sit next to me and relax for a moment" he went and sat right beside you as you focus on some of the flowers that were on your hands, You asked him how was his day as you carefully began making a blue flower Crown,

You always think that blue would suit him very much and so you wove the sweet flowers together as Sephiroth began to notice what you were making and became so fascinated by your work, as he beautiful green cats eyes widen in awe and wonder,

"You are really good at that?" You laughed gently and smiled when you were finished with the beautiful crown, you smiled up towards him before then placing the crown above his head,

He froze there as you place the crown upon his head, you couldn't help to find it cute of him and placed a sweet kiss on his check as his face began to become red,

"How about I make you one? For my darling" you agreed as you teach him how to make a crown, and through trail and error he finally managed to make a pink flower Crown for you, You clapped your hands in glee and Sephiroth smiled with pride that he make a crown for his darling, he carefully places the crown on your head careful not to break the crown,

"There, a beautiful crown, for a beautiful princess" you couldn't help but embrace him and connecting your lips into a sweet passionate kiss, Sephiroth held you close as you continue to kiss before pulling away, leaning your head against his shoulder, careful not to damage the flowers,

"Come on let's get some tea, I have the kettle on" you got up as Sephiroth followed, having a arm wrapped around your waist, and still wearing the flower crown that you made for him.

FFVII Remake Easter Eggs and compilation continuity - Part 9: EXTRAS

     CLOUD’S SECRET

Now everything makes sense

“HAIRTONIC Ideal Scalp Care. For astonishingly radiant & spiky hair!”.

     TASSELLATION

This particoular tassellation, alternating squares and octagons, present in many parts of the Remake, appeared also in other previous parts of the compilation.

     VICTORY POSES

After the victories at the Colosseum and in the Shinra combat simulator, the characters perform their OG victory poses.

     WEAPONS

If the player finds Corneo’s secret stashes they can fins three tiaras (Ruby, Emerald and Diamond tiaras) inspired to the OG Ruby, Emerald and Diamond Weapons.

     NATURAL OASIS

While in Trace of Two Pasts is stated that Elmyra’s house was full of flowers and plants even before the arrival of Aerith, it surely isn’t a coincidence that the sector she lives in, contrary to the rest of Midgar, is full of nature. Moreover the orphanage near her house is called “Leaf House” and the name of the teacher is Mrs Folia (”leaf” in Latin). 

     STARGAZER HEIGHTS

The place where Tifa lives in Sector 7, and where she suggests Cloud to live too, is a wooden building called Stargazer Heights, which is a reference to the water tower where they shared the promise. I’d say also that the presence in the same building of a black caped man isn’t a coincidence, considering that the first time these beings bould be spotted in the OG was indeed Nibelheim. 

     MATCHING OUTFITS

Tifa: Be sure to pick an outfit that goes with mine, okay?

Cloud: Will do.

Nailed it. 

Jokes aside there’s a subtle clever mechanism behind the choice of the Wall Market dresses. 

- If the player prefers Tifa, they’ll probably choose the refined dress and will have a good chance to get Chocobo Sam’s odd jobs (giving answers a bit more pro Tifa), so both Cloud and Tifa will wear the blue outfits.

- If the player prefers Aerith, they’ll maybe choose the sporty dress and will have a good chance to get Madam M’s odd jobs (giving answers a bit more pro Aerith), so both Cloud and Tifa will wear the satin outfits.

     BARRET’S DEATH

I’m not totally sure here if this was intentional, but when I saw Barret’s death I couldn’t help but think that during the first drafts of the OG he was the one who had to die instead of Aerith.

     CAPED CREATURES

We don’t know yet if there’s any connection between the Whispers and the Black caped men, but it’s hard not to notice the visual similarity of their designs. 

     BOOKS AND ADS

- PROFESSOR GAST

In Aerith’s childhood room in Shinra HQ there’s a book about the Lifestream written by Gast Farmeis, Aerith’s father.

- FAN CLUBS

In the same room there’s also a book about Stamp mentioning his fan club, which is an element that comes from Crisis Core 

- COSTA DEL SOL

There are some signs in Sector 8 - more a music disk - about Costa del Sol.

- FFVI

In one of the ads inside the trains there’s a FFVI quote from an author called “Gabbiani” - Setzer’s last name. 

- FFX-2

In Shinra’s museum there’s a picture with a FFX-2 character, Shinra.

FFVII Remake Easter Eggs and compilation continuity - Part 8: OG FINAL FANTASY VII

 ELEMENTS USED IN A DIFFERENT CONTEXT OR FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE

SAVE POINTS

The save points of the original FFVII consisted in an angled C (”check point”) floating on a crystal base. In the REmake there are no more save points but the same symbols appear on the healing benches.  

PHS

In the OG the player could use the PHS tool in the world map or at the save points to switch the party members. In the Remake there are PHS terminals in Shinra HQ that the group use to communicate and switch between two parties in Chapter 17. 

  TIFA’S PIANO

During her childhood Tifa had a piano in her bedroom. Among the many posters of the REmake there are some with the image of a keyboard, one of them indeed hung in Tifa’s bedroom.  

THE HOUSE SPECIAL

We know from the original game that Avalanche was originally founded in Cosmo Canyon. This is also the name of one of the drinks served at Seventh Heaven, Avalanche’s hideout. 

OG: Cosmo Canyon... This is where AVALANCHE was born...

Remake: Our house special: the Cosmo Canyon. 

BEST GUIDE

When Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud arrived at Nibelheim  years before, Tifa escorted them to the reactor, saying she was the best guide of the town. In the Remake too she proposes to be Cloud’s guide in the Sector 7 slums (reference more clear in the Jp version).

OG: I’m the number one guide in this town.

Remake: I know these streets better than anyone. (Jp version: I’m the best guide of the slums).

PARACHUTING

In the OG Cloud and the others parachuted themselves on Midgar from the Highwind, in order to prevent Hojo to use the Sister Ray to help Sephiroth. In the Remake Cloud, Jessie, Biggs and Wedge parachute back in Sector 7 after the mission in Chapter 4.

MUSEUM

At Gold Saucer, Dio had a personal museum with a big picture of himself. Moreover, he had also a massive gold statue at the top of the amusement park. In the Remake, the 60th floor of the Shinra building hosts a museum where there’s also a big golden statue of the President. 

VIRTUAL REALITY

Bugenhagen has a 3D holographic symulator in the Cosmo Canyon observatory, necessary for his planetology studies (Shinra machinary he received from Professor Gast). “Cosmos theatre” is a 3D virtual reality symulator where visitors can learn about the Ancients and the Promised Land. 

DA-CHAO

During Intermission Yuffie uses to eat “Da-chao beans”. Da-Chao an important water deity of Wutai and its massive statue is sculpted in the mountain overlooking village. 

WALL MARKET

In the original FFVII, the Honeybee Inn was a brothel, while in the Remake it’s a night club. Anyway, the hand massages at Madam M’s parlor are kind of allusive, especially the Luxory Course.

ARENA

The Battle Square (or Battle Arena or Colosseum) was an area of the Gold Saucer, where Cloud could entertain Dio with a match in exchange of the Keystone. In the Remake, also Corneo has a Colosseum at Wall Market.

DATES

In the OG, depending on the player’s choices, Cloud could spend a date at the Gold Saucer with Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie or Barret. A similar system exists also in the Remake and it affects a cutscene at the beginning of Chapter 14. 

SHOWMAN

During the date at the Gold Saucer, Cloud and the girl (NB: not Barret) had to take part to a stage show where they played the parts of the knight and the princess. In the Remake, in order to obtain the dress-up to infiltrate Corneo’s Mansion, he has to take part to a dance show at the Honey Bee Inn. 

THE PRINCESS 

Princess Rosa was one of the protagonists of the Gold Saucer show, played by Aerith, Tifa or Yuffie during the date. In the Remake Cloud can read a letter in the room of Jessie’s father, where Jessie announced to her parents that she obtained the part of the princess in a show at Gold Saucer. 

Jessie Raspberry as...the Princess?

FIREWORKS

There were fireworks creating a romantic atmosphere during the ride on the gondola at Gold Saucer. In the Remake, if Aerith is wearing the red dress, her appearance is accompanied by fireworks and red carpet. 

KISS

The LTD has split the fandom for ages, but the only two girls who have ever been shown kissing Cloud are Yuffie (during her GS date) and Jessie (if the player manages to end the bike minigame in Chapter 4 with HP above 80%).

DREAM

In the OG Aerith appeared in Cloud’s dream just before getting to the City of the Ancients, the place where Sephiroth killed her. In the Remake this dream is hinted in two scenes:

1) The way Aerith appeared at Cloud at the beginning of Chapter 9 recalls the way she appeared in his dream (which triggers in Cloud a vision of her death). 

2) She appears in his dreams again during her resolution scene, using gestures and words that hint at her death. 

VOICES OF THE PLANET 

Aftyer Meteor was summoned in the OG, Cloud and the others could hear the scream of the Planet from the Highwind. In the Remake, when the group faced Sephiroth at the end of the highway, the Whispers start screaming in pain and Aerith said those were the voices of the Planet.  

OG: RedXIII: Did you...hear something? - Tifa: The Planet’s scream...or Meteor? Is it this Planet? - Cloud: Hey, how do we know that this is really the Planet’s scream? - Tifa: Did you forget? Bugenhagen told us.

Remake: What you heard just now were the voices of the planet. Those born into this world. Who lived and who died. Who returned. They're howling in pain. (...) They... Their words...they don't reach him. All these moments and memories, precious and fleeting...they're like rain rolling off his back... And when they're gone, he won't cry...or shout...or anything.

CLOUD VS SEPHIROTH

In the original FFVII, after the defeat of Safer∙Sephiroth, Cloud and Sephiroth had a final mental duel. At the end of the Remake Sephiroth mentally drags Cloud to the “Edge of Creation” with a symilar dynamic.  

FFVII Remake Easter Eggs and compilation continuity - Part 7: OG FINAL FANTASY VII

ELEMENTS ORIGINALLY SHOWED AFTER THE MIDGAR SECTION & VISIONS OF THE FUTURE

CAIT SITH

This character didn’t show up until the group reached the Gold Saucer. In the Remake he witnesses the plate fall.

YUFFIE

In the OG Yuffie could only be recruited after visiting the Mythril Mines and nothing hints she had ever been in Midgar before. Now she is the protagonist of Intermission, spending a whole day in Midgar, getting to see Barret’s cell and infiltrating in Shinra HQ thanks to Avalanche. Some main points of this character have already been shown like the rivalry between her and her father, some details of the Wutai war and even her motion sickness.

ROMANTIC RUDE

In the OG Rude confessed Reno that he liked Tifa. In the Remake, when he spotted her on the Sector 7 pillar, he deviated the chopper to prevent Reno from killing her.

Reno: Dammit! You wanna explain yourself, partner?

Rude: Uh... Hand slipped.

PALMER’S TEA

In the original, at Cid’s house, Palmer asked for some tea with “sugar, honey and lard”. In the Remake he walks in the corridor of Shinra HQ with a cup of tea, complaining that he ran out of butter (though in Japanese it’s still “lard”).

Oh dear, oh dear... A man of my refined tastes running out of butter! Shorn of its proper accompainment, this tea...might as well be boiled pond water!

BLACK-CAPED MEN

In the original there was just one clone in Midgar, in Sector 5, and he wasn’t wearing the black cape yet, while in the Remake they can be met also in Midgar. 

The Remake also confirms that also some former SOLDIERs can turn into caped men, something that the OG revealed only in an optional scene in Junon.

OG: I used to be in SOLDIER. Lately I’ve felt like dressing up like this...

Remake: My dad told me that that man, he used to be a SOLDIER when he was younger. I heard he came back because he got sick or something. Isn't that kinda weird? Can SOLDIERs even get sick?

This concept is further - more openly - reiterated also in Intermission:

Nayo: Mako poisoning. That's what happens if you don't make the grade as a SOLDIER...or when the military's done using you.

REUNION

When Cloud attacks Marco believing he’s Sephiroth he has a vision of the Reunion at Whirlwind Maze.

BARRET’S PAST

In the Remake Barret mentions the day he survived from the destruction of his home town, while in the original this happened one the group arrived in Corel.

Wouldn't be the first time I spit in destiny's eye. Whether you can see the seams or you can't...doesn't change that she's always trying to have it her way.

JENOVA

In the original game the first fight against Jenova took place on the Cargo ship, while in the Remake the group fights it in Chapter 17. 

Note: the first form of Jenova in the original was called Jenova∙BIRTH (followed later by Jenova∙LIFE, Jenova∙DEATH and Jenova∙SYNTHESIS). In Remake it is called Dreamweaver, referring to its ability to project illusions, while the Japanese sticks to the original calling it Jenova Beat, hinting to the prenatal heartbeat of fetuses. 

LIFESTREAM

During the presentation at Cosmo theatre (an allusion itself to Cosmo Canyion) the group can see a depiction of the Lifestream flowing throughout the Planet. In the original this only happened at the very end when Aerith summoned it. 

MATERIA

During the aforementioned presentation it was explained how the Ancients were able to create Materia with condensed Lifestream, while in the original it was explained during the flashback in Kalm.

7R: In the distant past, our planet was home to a people we call the Ancients. Many millennia before we discovered mako, these precursors were already pioneering its use. Somehow they learned of the great reservoir of energy pulsing beneath their feet. And once they had...the Ancients developed the means to harness this bountiful energy and bend it to their will. The fruits of their labors have survived to this very day in the form of certain kinds of materia.

OG: Materia. When you condense Mako energy, materia is produced. It’s very rare to be able to see materia in its natural state. (...)...the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients is held in the Materia.

PROUD CLOD

During intermission Yuffie can see the Proud Clod still under construction stored in Shinra underground. Moreover, the Pride and Joy Prototype (in Japanese: Proud Clad Unit Zero) is a boss that can be fought in Shinra battle simulator.

MIND READER

During the second bombing mission Tifa jokingly asks Cloud if he could read her mind. This is a hint to Jenova’s ability to read minds.

7R:  I swear, your timing was perfect. It's almost like...you could read my mind. SOLDIERs can't do that, can they?

OG: Inside of you, Jenova has merged with Tifa’s memories, creating you.

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

In the Remake Cloud "remembers” two episodes of his childhood in Nibelheim, scenes that originally were included in the Lifestream sequence in Mideel.

BURNING TOWN

During the first vision of Sephiroth in Chapter 2, Cloud re-experiences the distruction of NIbelheim. This info wasn’t revealed in the OG until the flashback in Kalm.

TEST SUBJECT

When Cloud, Barret and Tifa discover the secret underground lab with specimen detained in mako tanks, Cloud starts remembering his captivity in the basement of Shinra Mansion. This was originally revealed only in the optional cutscene in the basement of the Mansion, after the Lifestream sequence.

MAKO POISONING

Mako poisoning is an element that in the OG was explained just in Mideel, while in the Remake Jessie’s father suffers of the same condition. A sector 7 NPC also witnesses one of Cloud’s Jenova headaches and suggests he may be Mako poisonesd (before the whispers intervene).

7R: [Chapter 3] What the—You okay, buddy? Mako junkie, huh? Figures...

[Chapter 4] Jessie's got a theory about it. Thinks her dad's spirit is stuck now—between his body and the heart of the planet.

OG: He probably has no idea who or where he is now... Poor fellow, his voice doesn’t even work. He is literally miles away from us. Some place far away where no one’s ever been... All alone...

UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH

Discovering that in reality Cloud never made it in SLDIER was a pivotal plot twist of the OG. In the Remake that’s hinted more than once, until Hojo openly reveals it. 

No, not quite. Oh, now I recall. My memory was mistaken. My boy, you weren't a SOLDIER...

SEPHIROTH’S DEATH

In Chapter 2 Cloud remembers he killed Sephiroth. This is surprising as in the OG, during Kalm flashback, he told the group that he didn’t know what happened to Sephiroth after Nibelheim incident, even pointing out that, in terms of strength, he couldn’t have killed him.

AERITH’S DEATH

Cloud has some visions of Aerith’s death: after falling in her church in Chapter 8 (pics 2 and 3) and at the beginning of Chapter 9 (pics 1 and 4). Moreover he and the rest of the group have a blurred vision of her death in Chapter 18, Aerith’s refers to death in her resolution scene and Sephiroth tells him he’s unable to protect people in Chapter 2 (while seeing Aerith for the first time) and in Chapter 13 (after she’s been kidnapped). 

METEOR

Cloud, and the others have visions of Meteor and the storm that destroyed Midgar at the end of the OG in Chapters 16 and 18. 

FFVII Remake Easter Eggs and compilation continuity - Part 6: THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: A TURKS SIDE STORY

NEW CHARACTERS

The novel introduces new characters like:

LESLIE

KYRIE

MIREILLE

MERLE

PHOTOS

In the book Evan tells Tifa about some pictures of ladies he found at Corneo’s Mansion. In the Remake indeed Corneo takes various pictures of Cloud. 

Cloud: What was that?

Don Corneo: Don’t you worry your pretty little head. Just a picture to preserve the moment! And to ensure you don’t do anything inappropriate like say “No”... 

FAMILY

Ms Folia, the teacher of the Leaf House, said she considers the kids of the orphanage as a real family. The same concept is repeated at the end of the novel when Kyrie states that she, Evan and Bits form a real family even if they’re not relatives, and Cloud confirms he feels the same about his own family (this concept was already touched also in On the way to a Smile from Tifa’s pov).

But I want the children to know that until they can stand on their own two feet that I'm here to support them, care for them, love them—that even if we're not actually related, we're still a family—a real family, in all the ways that matter. If I can do that for them, then well...then maybe I'm making this world a better place.

FFVII Remake Easter Eggs and compilation continuity - Part 5: ON THE WAY TO A SMILE

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Jessie: I make a mean pizza, I’ll have you know! Marche, luche, black milly, red shelly - I use only the best ingredients! Sound good?

Cloud: Never heard of any of that stuff.

A NEW BAR 

Some months after Meterofall, Barret, Tifa and Cloud opened a new bar in Edge.

Barret: I guess...we’ll build another bar.

Tifa: Yeah. We will. You’ll help too, won’t you?

Cloud: For a price.

DENZEL

Cloud found Denzel, an orphan in need affected by Geostigma, in front of Aerith’s church and decided to bring him home. In remake Aerith used to visit an orphanage placed near her house, in Sector 5.

BARRET’S MISSION

After Metorfall and the defeat of Shinra, the world lost its primary energy source and got plagued by Geostigma. Barret embarked on a journey to amend for his sins and he finally resolved to do it by finding a new energy source and so help people start a new life. 

You’re lying to yourself, even now. (...) Picture it! Picture a world without Shinra. Without Mako energy. A stagnant, impotent world. Now picture a natural disaster. Who would help the people? Help to recover and rebuild? You? With their old world ruined, will they thank you for the new?

MEMORIES

After being killed at the end of FFVII, Sephiroth tied his existence to Cloud’s memories, creating a bond between them.

Were the planet to die, so many things would be lost. (...) That which binds us together would be no more. And I would be loath to live in such a world. 

(...)

Our world will become a part of it...one day. But I...will not end. Nor will I have you end. (...) The edge of creation. Cloud, lend me your strength. Let us defy destiny...together.

GUILT

In the OG Tifa doesn’t show much hesitation about AVALANCHE methods and the regret for the victims of Sector 7 is just slightly mentioned a couple o times, while that’s one of her major traits in the Remake. This characterization comes from Episode Tifa, that fully explores her feelings about her past actions and their consequences. 

A whole lotta mormal people with families and friends work for Shinra. People just trying to support their loved ones as best they can. I know it's not exactly a revelation, but... It's easy to forget.

FFVII Remake Easter Eggs and compilation continuity - Part 4: DIRGE OF CERBERUS

[Includes: DoC Online Multiplayer - DoC - DoC Lost Episode]

SHINRA’S DARKEST SECRET

In Chapter 3, Weimar tells Cloud and Tifa of the rumors about undregroud secret labs. In Chapter 13, after the plate fall, Cloud, Barret and Tifa enter this mysterious underground facility full of monsters and Mako tanks.

7R: There’s a crazy story about a Shinra research lab hidden right beneath our feet - under the slums.

DoC: Deepground soldiers. (...) The shadow of the Shinra company, constructed by the former president and completely hidden from the rest of the world. (...) His goal was to create an army of superhuman warriors - not once letting morality interfere.

  INTERMISSION

During Intermission it is not only confirmed the existence of Deepground but Yuffie and Sonon fight against some soldiers in their DoC uniforms.

Nero: "Team"? Fool. There are no "teams" in Deepground.

Yuffie: Deep...ground?

Nero: The place where my brother and I like to play.

WEISS AND NERO

After getting to Deepground Yuffie and Sonon had to fight against one of the Deepground Tsviets, Nero. Meanwhile Weiss was added as a boss fight in the Shinra Combat Simulator. 

VITUAL REALITY

The overall concept of Shinra using VR simulators comes from DoC. In particoular, in DoC Multiplayer SOLDIERs and Tsviets used to train exclusively in VR arenas. 

MOOGLE YUFFIE

During the first half of Intermission Yuffie wears a tattered cloak with a moogle hood. This piece of clothing appeared for the first time in Dirge of Cerberus. 

FFVII Remake Easter Eggs and compilation continuity - Part 3: ADVENT CHILDREN

     KIDS

Feeling close to death, Biggs asks Cloud to take care for him of the orphans of the Leaf House. Cloud refuses implying that he doesn’t like kids. Anyway, not even one year later he will take care of both Marlene and Denzel, two orphans.

     SPARE GLASSES

In the movie Rude broke his glasses during the fight with the Remnants but he immediately replaced them with another pair. The same happens in the Remake in Chapter 8, during the fight against Cloud and Aerith. 

     AERITH’S CHURCH

The design of Aerith’s church is almost the same of the one showed in Advent Children.

     AERITH AND MARLENE

Just before the plate fall, Aerith goes to Seventh Heaven to save Marlene and the two share a sort of mysterious interaction. Despite having known her for so little, after two years Marlene will still be very fond of Aerith. She’ll have her same hairstyle but she’ll also be “special” since she’ll be the only kid not affected by Geostigma and she’ll perceive Aerith’s presence during the battle against Sephiroth. 

     SEVENTH HEAVEN

On the wall of Seventh Heaven there are some AC references: a picture of the future Seventh heaven and a blurred photo of future Barret, Marlene, Nanaki and Cait Sith.

     GEOSTIGMA

When Cloud met Sephiroth in the drum, he grabbed his left arm in pain while being mentally tortured - the same arm that will be affected by Geostigma.

     MOTORCYCLE FIGHT

The motorcycle fight with Roche recalls the chase on the highway of Midgar-Edge with the Remnants.

     WHISPERS

In Chapter 18 the Whispers mysteriously started cyrcling around the Shinra tower the same way the corrupted Lifestream will do in Advent Children.

When Sephiroth delivere the line “Destiny comes”, the Whispers started escaping in every direcion from the top of the Shinra tower. The same happens in the movie when the Lifestream finally erupts in the church. 

     VISIONS

During the battle against Whisper Harbinger, all the members of the group have some visions of the future, taken directly from the movie. 

     THE REMNANTS

Whisper Harbinger summons three “entities from a future timeline that have manifested in the present day", that the Ultimania confirms being manifestations of the Remnants:

Whishper Rubrum is a swordsman like Kadaj; 

Whisper Viridi is a pincher like Loz;

Whisper Croceo is a shooter. 

When they materialize Whisper Rubrum appears in front of Cloud and Whisper Viridi in front of Tifa (in the movie Cloud fought against Kadaj and Tifa against Loz).

After the battle the three entities merge together in Whisper Bahamut (in the movie the three remnants summoned Bahamut SIN).

     SEPHIROTH

Remake Sephiroth seems to have already experienced the events of Advent Children. In the original story he seemed to be indifferent about Cloud’s feelings, considering him no more than a numb clone, while in the Remake he started mentally tormenting him from the beginning.

Tell me what you cherish most, give me the pleasure of taking it away.

7R: You’re too weak to save anyone. Not even yourself. - You’ve failed again, I see.

AC: I’m not fit to help anyone. Not my family. Not my friends. Nobody.

     FINAL BATTLE

Sephiroth starts the final battle with the same gesture he used in the movie to summon the corrupted Lifestream.

He throws at the enemies debris of a destroyed Midgar like in the movie.

In both installments there’s a huge swirl of corrupted Lifestream in the sky.

Sephiroth shows one single black wing like he did in the final stages of the battle in Advent Children.

-

For the other parts refer to the masterpost

FFVII Remake Easter eggs and compilation continuity - Part 2: CRISIS CORE

     RUDE BEING...RUDE

When Cloud and Aerith meet Rude in Sector 5 he unceremoniously asks if he’s “her new boy toy”, referring to Zack. Crisis Core established that the Turks knew Zack and were aware of his relationship with Aerith.

    THE PUPPY

Stamp is a new element introduced in the Remake, which makes a mysterious appearance at the end of the game when Zack seemingly subverts his destiny. In Crisis Core Angeal used to refer to Zack as “puppy”. 

“Are you Zack the puppy? My son wrote to me once about you, zero attention span, restless as a little puppy.”

    BANORA WHITE

There are lots of billboards and flyers of “Banora White apple juice” around Midgar. Both Banora and its apples were introduced for the first time in Crisis Core and linked to Genesis.

     ORPHANS

This may be not intentional but it’s still odd to be just a coincidence: one set of Crisis Core side missions involved some orphans who escaped from a Shinra “care facility”. In the Remake, the Leaf House is an orphanage and, according to the novel “Traces of two pasts”, it is under Shinra’s influence.

      DATING

Just like in the OG, Aerith asks Cloud to be her bodyguard in exchange of one date. Her gesture is exactly the same of Zack’s when he asked her for one date.

    SELLING FLOWERS

When Aerith and Cloud arrive in Evergreen Park, she mentions the time she used to sell flowers there, which happened 5 years before with Zack.

“You know, a long time ago, I used to sell flowers here.”

    YOUR EYES

In Chapter 9 Aerith comments about Cloud’s beautiful mako eyes the same way she did with Zack. In the Japanese version, Cloud and Zack answer her with the same sentence:

Aerith: きれい (...) 瞳 [Beautiful (...) Eyes]

Zack/Cloud: 魔晄を浴びた者の瞳　ソルジャーの証だ [Eyes of those exposed to Mako, the mark of SOLDIER]

    PINK DRESSES

In Crisis Core Zack asked Aerith to wear something pink when they'd meet again. Even though Aerith’s dress has always been pink since the OG, her new optional Wall Market dresses are pink as well.

“From now on, why don’t we make a promise every time we meet? (...) For example, when we meet, you always have to dress in pink.”

    TRAINING ROOM

In Shinra HQ there’s a battle simulator where Zack and the other SOLDIERs used to train in CC.  

    SOLDIER PROJECT

During the meeting with the President and the Shinra executives in Chapter 16, Hojo mentions SOLDIER types G and S. He war referring to the two main projects behind the SOLDIER program - Hollander’s Project G and Hojo’s project S.

CC: “Jenova project G gave birth to Angeal and monsters like myself [Genesis]. Jenova project S used the remains of countless failed experiments to create a perfect monster [Sephiroth].” 

7R: “We could have the Ancient reproduce. (...) I would start with candidates from SOLDIER. These would of course include S and G types.” 

    CELLULAR DEGRADATION

In Chapter 7 President Shinra points out that SOLDIERs usually die prematurely due to cellular degradation. Genesis, after being wounded in the battle simulator, started suffering of severe and irreversible cellular degradation.

“Once a SOLDIER, always a SOLDIER. Though not, alas, for very long. Accelerated cellular degradation being the most common cause of death by far.”

    FALLEN ANGELS

While Sephiroth’s black wing was shown for the first time in Andvent Children some visual elements of the Remake recall elements from Crisis Core related to Genesis and Angeal.

    KUNSEL

In Shinra HQ some troopers recognize Cloud and mention Kunsel, a SOLDIER and close friend of Zack’s.

“Cloud? You’re Cloud right? (...) We went through training together. (...) Hey, sit tight man - I’mma go get Kunsel.

    BARRET’S LAST STAND

“Worst route ever. Gimme a suicidal last stand. At least - At least - at least that’d have an end!”

Barret says this when he reaches the 49th floor of Shinra HQ backstairs - SOLDIERs floor. It’s a reference to Zack’s last stand.  

    THE LIFESTREAM 

After the defeat of Whisper Harbinger the protagonists end up in a place full of light and walk on a watery surface. The same happened in Crisis Core during Zack’s dream that foreshadowed his death, a representation of the Lifestream. 

    FREEDOM

Before entering the sincularity in Chapter 18, Aerith says that beyond the portal there’s “Freedom. Boundless, terrifying freedom. Like a great, never-ending sky.” These words are a callback to Zack’s iconic “The price of freedom is steep”.

    THE SKY

In Crisis Core Aerith told Zack that she felt safe under the plate because the real sky frightened her. She reiterates this concept at the end of the Remake when she said “I miss it, the steel sky” (aka the plate), in Japanese "The sky, I hate it”.

    ZACK’S LAST STAND

This scene is repeated shot-for-shot in Chapter 18.

For the other parts refer to the masterpost

FFVII Remake Easter eggs and compilation continuity - Part 1: BEFORE CRISIS

     AVALANCHE!

In Chapter 4, a group of Avalanche members helps Cloud, Wedge and Biggs to fight against some Shinra troops. The design of their uniforms is the same of the BC Avalanche group. 

     ATTEMPT ON THE PRESIDENT

During Chapter 1, while Heidegger and President Shinra observe the attack to Reactor 1, Heidegger mentions an assassination attempt on the President. He might be referring to the episode that took place on 30th February (yes, 30) 0001 in Junon. 

“These sewer rats appear to call themselves Avalanche, sir. We are currently investigating whether they belong to the same group that made the attempt on your life.”

     LEAVING MIDGAR

In Chapter 8 Aerith tells Cloud she once tried to leave Midgar. This happened in BC, on 9th August 0002, but Avalanche tried to kidnap her before she could leave the slums.

“You know, I thought about leaving once... But...in the end, I couldn't.”

     TIFA’S CAT

One of the side quests in Sector 7 includes the research of three cats. They’re white with a pink collar, like the cat Tifa had when she lived in Nibelheim.

     HIDEOUT IN WUTAI

After blaming Avalanche for the tragedy in Sector 7, Shinra divulged rumors about their allegiance with Wutai. It was showed in BC that Avalanche established there their HQ since it was the only remaining anti-Shinra country of the world.

“The sky is falling and Avalanche is to blame! But wait! Did you know Wutai is the one funding their activities!? For all their claims about fighting for the slums...they're nothing more than pawns of Wutai”

This alliance is confirmed in Intermission with Yuffie and Sonon cooperating with Avalanche to infiltrate Shinra.

Sonon: Gotta admit, I'm surprised you agreed to work with us.

Nayo: We're just doing what we think is necessary...to build a brighter future. That's all there is to it.

     RUFUS

It was established in Before Crisis that Rufus conspired against his father providing intel and financial support to Avalanche. In Itermission, when Zhijie was questioned by the Shinra guards, he made fun of them but actually said the truth when he confessed the informant was Rufus. 

Officer: Now spill it! Who gave you that information!?

Zhijie: Oh, his name was something like...Heidegger? (...) Alright, alright, I'll tell you. It was Rufus. (...)...Or was it Hojo?

Moreover Scarlet started suspecting of the presence of a mole in Shinra, since Wutai knew about their secret military projects.

Yuffie: That's enough, Sonon. I got this. Alright, lady, out with it. Tell us where you're hiding the new materia. Don't play dumb now. We know you've been cooking up something super-powerful.

Scarlet: Well, well... Wutai must have some highly skilled intelligence operatives. That...or we have a mole in our midst.

ALLIANCE

It is shown since Chapter 16 that there’s a particoular link between Rufus and the Turks. Indeed in BC Tseng, Reno and Rude were sentenced to death by President but Rufus saved them in exchange for their loyalty.

“The VP needs us.”

FINAL BOSS

The Whisper Harbinger appearing in Chapter 18 bears similarities with Zirconiade:

- They both have to be faced at the end of the highway after entering a flashing portal

- The shape of the body of the Harbinger (just like Whispers Rubrum, Viridis and Croceo) shares some similarities with Zirconiade

- Both battles take place in an alternate dimension with shattered environment

- After their defeat they emit energy blasts and explode with a shockwave

- After the explosion, sparkling particles fall slowly from the sky, like snow

-

For the other parts refer to the masterpost

花言葉は再会

I’m not good with Japanese, but these lines sound VERY similar!  

It would be interesting to know if there are others, did you spot any?

FFVII Remake vs Crisis Core comparison