Assume that AGSZC are parents now. Let’s say that their kid comes home crying because of a bully. How would they deal with it?
Sephiroth: “I don’t understand. Why can’t you simply challenge them to a duel? I’ve been sparring with you since you were little. Oh, they’re eleven. Hm.. then why not tell a teacher, or maybe the principal? The authority figures should be able to deal with it. … WHAT? THE TEACHER SAID ‘KIDS WILL BE KIDS’ AND WALKED AWAY?” *Cue an angry 6’7 dad in the school admin’s office the next morning, Masamune in hand*
Sephiroth: I’m going to need you to explain to me what exactly you believe your function is at this institution, because from where I’m standing it appears you’ve confused “administrator” with “decorative feature.”
Angeal: *very warmly* “Here’s what you have to understand about bullies. They’re not happy people. They’re kids with things going wrong at home, or in their own heads, and they take it out on others because it makes them feel briefly in control. It’s sad, but you handled it exactly right by telling someone, and I’m proud of you for telling me. *The child asks him why he just slipped military-grade nunchucks into their bookbag* For fun! Recreation! You know, in case you want to pick up a new hobby during recess :)”
Genesis: Genesis ends up on the damn news.
Zack: “Okay here's what we’re gonna do. Tomorrow, you walk in there, you find that kid, you smile real wide, and you compliment something about them— anything, doesn’t matter what — and then you become unavoidable! Open doors for them, share your snacks, talk great about them behind their back, and kill them with kindness! You cannot bully someone you’re friends with!
Kid: What if they don’t want to be friends?
Zack: Then you tell Sephiroth and we let him handle the school.
Kid: That’s your plan B?
Zack: That’s everyone’s plan B.
Cloud: Cloud just….
Cloud: Who is it?
Denzel: Why?
Cloud: I’m not going to do anything, I just want to know who it is.
Denzel: But you have that face.
Cloud: I don’t have a face. Tell me who it is so I can not do anything about it with full information.
Denzel: Tifa says when you get like this I’m not supposed to say anything…
*Cloud violently slaps a concerning amount of gil on the table*
Denzel: !
Cloud: I will literally pay you for their name.
I needed to write something so bad. final fantasy 7 has me by the balls rn so animal boy time!! Who kissin they Shinra experiment rn!!! mee!! mememe!!!!
cw: SFW hybrid au, they have animal tails and ears, animal behavior, very lightly suggestive in some spots, belly rubs, cute boy zack, tried to be as in character as I could but pretty lax, crisis core sephiroth, what can I say I love my boys haha
• the men in SOLDIER First Class have started to undergo some changes.. the increased mako dosage has made them all exponentially stronger however its started to change them in more ways than just muscle density..
• the mako experiments and infusions were quickly taken over solely by Hojo once things like extensions of the tail bone and canine teeth were noted. Hojo tried to reverse the effects, or at least stop them, but it was too late. his precious SOLDIER were falling victim to side effects of the mako, ones that he had not planned for.
• the lifestream seems to assign the animal. perhaps by looks perhaps by personality, no one has managed to pinpoint that reasoning yet.
• with the damage already done and the changes already well underway, they had no choice but to start working around it. and that started with getting them used to their new lives and new... appendages
• part of those knew changes is going to the certified "Shinra Licensed Hybrid Grooming Specialist." which was a lot of fancy words to say you helped the men keep their fur properly maintained. deep cleaning, trimming, keeping general heath of their fur and/or any changes. all of those extra details were to be reported to hojo at the end of every month. however your worker/client relationship seems to be getting a little more friendly than anticipated
Sephiroth
• mrow?
• of course hes a cat hybrid. what else would he be? more specifically a snow leopard hybrid. agile and strong, built to conquer even the harshest of terrains, sounds like Sephiroth to the lifestream (and me)
• his poor ears are on permanent airplane mode. he always looks like hes angry about something, but hes really not. he just keeps hitting them on doorframes.. the only time you ever see his ears at full attention is when hes about to pounce on something or someone, sword usually in hand.
• you thought his hair care routine was bad as a [not-so] regular human; it has only gotten even more intensive. long silver hair long silver and white fur, they both require a lot of care. thankfully sephiroth has the time to spare on his grooming routine, and the cost is covered by shinra. gotta keep up the good PR. cant have their #1 SOLDIER running around with matted fur.
• Sephiroth brushes his tail himself and has a special set of grooming supplies to do it. metal comb for getting the undercoat, slicker brush for the extra lose hair. every Wednesday exactly at 1130 he visits your grooming station. if he's on mission, he schedules as soon as he gets back. literally. he goes from helicopter to get his fur tended to.
• requests his fur shampoo that smells most like his hair shampoo. he prefers to have a very cohesive scent, woodsy but clean like a wet forest made of soap.
• Sephiroth has unfortunately found one of his favorite things is when youre scratching the base of his tail. he tries to keep his back straight and his eyes forward, but when your nails start scratching down to his skin he can feel his back bending into your touch. he rarely ever blushes or even shows much emotion, but you can tell from the way his slitted pupils dart around to look anywhere but at you says enough.
• he doesn't talk much, especially not during the first few sessions. hes trying very hard to not make you uncomfortable. he sits railrod straight on the grooming table and keeps his hands folded or his arms crossed. hes polite.. for lack of a better term. its less politeness and more he doesn't squirm or complain and says thank you. he just doesn't have much to say to someone who he doesnt have much common ground with. being born and raised in the confines of shinra labs has mildly stunted his ability to be normal cut him some slack. though eventually the closeness of being arms deep in his luscious tail fur gets him chatty sooner or later.
It starts with soft purrs under his breath, his chest rising and falling slowly. it feels like his purrs could shake a whole house with his much reverb they have
"does the water feel ok?"
"yes. thank you." he nodded.
"your tail has gotten so long, pretty soon we'll need a whole bottle of shampoo!" you were trying to keep some conversation going. warm him up a bit.
He glanced at you with his thin pupils, a soft smirk on his face. "hm.. perhaps we will."
you returned the smile while you soaked his downy fur in water. you pushed shampoo as deep as your fingers would allow into his thick layers. the process was easy, almost autopilot. he asked for the same thing every time. shampoo, deep condition, trimming and shaping the tail to come to a soft round pillow at the end. you happily accommodated, using your curved scissors to carefully round the shape of his fur. Occasionally you could swear Sephiroth was twitching his tail away from you, catching a smirk out of the corner of your eye
• regardless of conversation, Sephiroth was a good tipper. everything covered with funds from Shinra's PR (propaganda) department he wasnt exactly strapped for cash, but he wasnt really spending it much anyway given the lack of free time.. add in the fact hes a little desperate for friends and hes not above sweetening the deal. even if all you do is sit in comfortable silence with him while you help de-shed his winter coat, hes happy to have you around.
• sometimes you can get him to chat very briefly about his own likes an interests. he mentions some books, training with the others and secretly a chocoberry pastry from a small bakery on the west side of the upper plate of Midgar. it was so niche and unexpected you stopped trimming the whispy furs at the tops of his round ears. at his next appointment, you gift him with a small box of the treat. you watch happily as his kitty cat eyes dilate to big round circles
• you werent above sweetening the deal a little either.. the very rare smile on his face made the walk to the bakery all worth it.
Angeal
• awoo!!
• Angeal is a pack animal. he cant survive on his own. no lone wolf trope here no sir. its why he goes after Genesis. it's why he goes after Sephiroth. he needs all his packmates in order lest something goes wrong.
• he carries himself in the way you'd think a wolf would. a bit regal from the outside but ultimately friendly to those he's closest with. you hardly ever see his ears pinned. unlike Sephiroth, Angeal keeps his ears raised high at attention. you can see them swivel into your direction whenever you speak to him. hes very attentive.
• Angeal is likely the easiest to care for in terms of grooming. his fur stays relatively short, but it needs a good deshedding often. Angeal can manage washing his fur himself, but Shinra insists on using your services to stay presentable. youre more than happy to assist, carefully raking through his tail's thick fur with a metal comb. dont comment on any gray strands in his charcoal black fur. hes not ready to admit how much his job stresses him out yet.
• hes not nearly as particular as Sephiroth when it comes to scents or even styling, but he does have his preferences. a middle point of sandalwood and laundry detergent is where he lies most of the time. sometimes theres a whiff of polished leather, but you think that's from being around Genesis so often.
• he doesnt give much feedback or criticism when you shape and trim his tail, but he does get a little pink across the bridge of his nose when you hold it at the base. he does ask you to shave the top of the base where it connects to his spine. he says it itches when the fur gets too long but Genesis told you the truth. Angeal is very ticklish on the small of his back. he holds it together well, but if you take too long evening out the shave you can see gim squirm a little.
• Angeal is arguably the most chatty out of the firsts. he always asks you about your life before this job, what you want to do after. hes happy to tell you about his past, always bringing up stories about Sephiroth, Genesis and himself as children and young SOLDIER. he insists Sephiroth has a very playful side.. youre inclined to believe him given the chocobo pastry, but imagining Sephiroth goofing off feels illegal somehow.
"Dreams and honor, huh? I think my dream is tooo.. retire to a sunny beachside town. maybe with a bunch of woodland creatures.." you laughed a bit, plucking the shed fur from your brush.
"woodland creatures at the beach? yes this certainly sounds like a dream," Angeal laughed with you, wagging his tail a bit to get a feel for the shave.
smooth as always.
• Angeal has absolutely howled during more than one session. the first time was totally by accident. you had left some music on in the background and it hit just the right frequency making Angeal tilt his head back and 'Rrrrrroooooo.." you tried not to draw attention to it but Angeal could feel your hands stop and you could feel your cheeks twitch into a smile. admittedly you have played the song again just to get a little muffled howl out of him
• after a few years of grooming sessions the 2 of you naturally grew closer, close enough that Angeal could ask you to help him fix a little.. mishap.. Angeal is great at trimming his own face, no bumps or knicks with a razor, but he cant say the same for his chest and happy trail. being a hybrid comes with some extra hair, so with red-splotched cheeks he asks if you can give him a bit of a touch up after he accidentally buzzed a rectangular patch in his chest hair. he tips you extra extra after you even him out and trim up his happy trail to match. you couldve gone a few more hours with him shirtless on your grooming table, but you try to keep it professional..
• Angeal is starting to want to throw professionalism to the wind as he redresses, face still tinted a warm peach.
Genesis
• yip!!
• a sly fox hybrid. as elusive as his snow leopard friend, but not nearly as standoffish once you do manage find him. a permanent grin and a tilt in his voice that makes you want to follow him into any uncharted forest you may or may not be near. Genesis is a natural charmer and you are almost immediately hooked
• always showers before he comes to see you. he is adamant to make sure you dont see him as incapable of taking care of himself. even if you reassure him that its not a big deal, that you've cleaned sticks and dried blood out of Zack's tail fur before, its all part of the job, Genesis refuses and will shower every time. you have managed to convince him to let you deep condition his fur at the very least. he doesnt like leaving it without conditioner for very long so he essentially gets right out of the shower and straight to you. you cant complain much since he always smells nice. leather, something sweet and cinnamon
• Genesis may be the most mentally challenging to get through a session with solely because he will quiz you on LOVELESS. you suppose it's partially your fault considering you asked about it, but in your defense you werent expecting a full iceberg analysis and director cut with commentary. with Genesis tho, that's exactly what you will be getting. he always asks you the most in depth questions about themes and writing style when you're trimming his ears. you think he does it on purpose.. you know he does it on purpose. you can practically hear speak him with that sly grin as you lose your focus in shaping his fur.
• however out of all of them Genesis is probably the easiest to finish a session with physically. its partially because he takes care of the washing himself, but also because he sits even more still than Sephiroth. his fur is rarely ever unruly. Genesis sits with a straight back and hands in his lap or on his book. even Sephiroth will get a little restless, but not Genesis. hes statuesque when he needs to be..
• and he rarely needs to be. Genesis can be a little more playful than Sephiroth and Angeal, but its mostly him twitching his tail this way and that as youre trying to trim it or maybe placing something just out of your reach on a tall shelf thqtbhe eventuallywill retreatfor you after you spend a minutelooking for it. you can see his eyes squint at the edges when he smiles behind his book. if you threaten to shave his tail bald he'll stop.. but not for very long. he knows you wont follow through on it. (turn on the clippers to make the threat more imminent if you want no more funny business until the next session)
"Same time next week I hope?"
Genesis shook his head, slipping his long red cloak back on. "unfortunately Angeal and I will sent out for a mission."
Your face dropped, though you tried to prevent it. hardly anyone had the luxury of naivety in this environment and the threat of death was real whenever they were shipped off. Despite your somber response, Genesis smiled mysterious and mischievous. he extended his arms, slowly and dramatic.
"you needn't worry about us. we'll be fine and you'll see us as soon as we return."
you let out a huff of resolve, a silent promise that you would hold Genesis to his word. he gently patted the center of your head as if you had fox ears yourself before he started slipping out the door.
"There is no hate, only joy
For you are beloved by the goddess"
your voice blended and carried along with his, quoting the book youve come to know by proxy.
• Genesis brings you a copy of LOVELESS as a gift when he returns. when you're waiting for his conditioning treatment youll read along with him. hes a bit more theatrical when hes reading the story to you rather than just reciting the words off the dome. he smiled when you jump in for spots youve remembered after he "beat it" into your head just like the rest of the ppl in his life.
• Have we all come to understand Genesis likes teasing? he cant help himself. sometimes he pretends to forget his wallet to tip you after, insisting youll just have to come with him to go get it and he'll even cover dinner as an apology. but when you skip right by the hall to get to the SOLDIER barracks and head right for dinner that smile finds its way back to his face.
• His next objective is to grin and get you to agree to his invitation to a showing of LOVELESS after a bite to eat. Will you let him?
Zack [the Puppy]
• woof!
• sorry if you expected a subversion of the plot here but Zack couldn't be more dog if he tried. friendly, energetic, good with kids, your moms, your dads, your aunts, your other dogs. Zack is a very excitable flat coated retriever hybrid. his soft floppy ears get lost in his spiked hair and his tail is always wagging at 100 mph. he loves the water, loves swimming and loves his grooming sessions with you! he is never shy with you even in your first few meetings. its Zack's 2nd nature to be welcoming, but he wont lie about his affinity for you in particular.
• Zack Motormouth Fair over here. Will never stop yapping ever. he will talk forever for hours for days. tells you all about his family, his favorite swimming spots, his favorite foods, Angeal's secret cuddling habit.. you choose to pretend you dont retain that knowledge, but the thought of all of the Firsts being in one big cuddle pile does give you pleasantly pink cheeks. dont take this as implications he doesnt ask about you or listen to your life stories. for all his words hes just as good as being a listener, especially as you reminisce when youre cutting his fur. you assume its the part dog thing, but really its just who he is.
• Zack prefers his fur very short for tactical purposes, but Shinra can have some strict guidelines sometimes. no full shave job unfortunately. SOLDIER, especially the Firsts, have to keep up with appearances especially when attending Shinra sponsored military balls. (Zack says we've got to get a better name for extravagant parties) he says how much he hates his tail fur to be so long so you do your best to keep it as short as you can while still toeing the guidelines. otherwise Zack really enjoys the crisp edge you carve out with your scissors.
• messiest out of all the Firsts. while you wont find fleas or tics you WILL find everything else. sticks, leaves, dried blood, crumbs from the lunch hall table. in Zack's defense they werent his crumbs. he leaned against the table and being the waggy guy he is he was essentially dusting the crumb covered table with his tail. when Kunsel pointed out the literal pretzel piece sticking out Zack was on the phone asking if you could pencil him in... immediately..
• thankfully Zack sits very well for his sessions. no twitching, no moving his tail away. he hardly even tilts his head away from your body when you lean in close to clean up his ears. if you didnt know any better you'd think Zack would nuzzle right up into you if it wasnt "unprofessional." we all know Zack will push those lines, but he doesnt want to overstep your boundaries so he doesnt. he does linger close to sniff whatever perfume/cologne you have on tho.. he cant help himself. he even started guessing the brand or scent names as a little game to keep him preoccupied.
• politely asks if you can wash his hair along with his fur because he really likes how your nails get down to his scalp. Puppy dog eyes if you show signs of maybe saying no. theres no rule against it and you certainly dont mind more time to talk to Zack so inevitably you say yes and hes over the moon. you somehow became a hairdresser as well as a groomer. you ask Zack to keep that service on the DL, not wanting to be tasked with trying to style Genesis's hair. Zack absolutely has a spot right at the base of his skull that makes his leg thump when you scratch it.
"oh my god is that it?" you didnt mean to have such an excited tone, but you finally found Zack's 'spot!'
you dont know how youve missed it until now, but now that you found it, you hone in on it. your blunt nails pleasantly scratched over the short hairs at his hairline making Zack lean into your touch.
zack tail excitedly wagged through the hole in the back of the chair and his heavy boot thumped in sync with it. if he was any more dog his tongue wouls be rolling out of the side of his mouth..
• good boy alert. gives you all the tips, brings you drinks and snacks he buys from in the city. thrives on some praises and thank yous so he never gets enough of watching your face light up when he brings you a little middle of the day pick me up drink! he once brought you a pickle slushee and, while delicious for 2 sips, you asked him to never get it again. he obliged.. sort of. he now buys them for himself and gets you something else.
• accidentally found out he loves getting his belly rubbed. he flopped on your grooming table, hands behind his head. you often wondered how he could stay so carefree with such a dangerous job.. you quickly patted his stomach to make him sit up and almost immediately did that excited puppy look cross his face. his leg kicked in like a rudder, foot tapping against the metal leg of the table.
• Zack starts stopping by more often to get some daily scratches.. Angeal has absolutely caught you two.
---------
ive read enough. give Sephiroth snow leopard spots in his hair. is this bad? be honest. actually dont ill cry.
tags: gender neutral reader, no agab/pronouns used
warnings: mentions of canon violence, mental health, jenova (yes she counts as a warning), cursing, mentions of intimacy (f), unhealthy relationship themes (im sorry but there’s no way it’ll be healthy), imperfect grammar
request: hiiii,, i was wondering if i could request a sfw B, C, F, S, & V for Sephiroth and Vincent Valentine ? Tysm if you decide to go through with it !! <3
a/n: awooga, bc sephiroth changes depending on the media… i decided to do these answers to each one I’m familiar with lmao. overkill? maybe. but it really changes depending on the media I swear. also, here is vincents! I split them up to different posts.
— here is the a-z request list! || here is the a-z masterlist!
// sfw alphabet ⌇˚.༄
B - best friend (what would they be like as a best friend? where does the friendship start?)
⮑ With pre/during crisis core era, back before shit hit the fan, he was very reserved. Both by design and also because he’s an introvert, he’s naturally alone. You’d have to be working with Shinra or close to him to even have a chance at interacting with him enough to become friends. So that’s exactly how you two met. You were working with him—and honestly couldn’t care less about his status. He noticed, and found comfort in the fact that you seemed to enjoy his company as he was, not his status.
⮑ He started requesting to have you on his team, go find your tent after time in the battlefield, or even eat in the cafeteria with you. He also dragged you along to hang out with Angeal and Genesis. You would watch them bicker and practice together and even sometimes join in. Finding time to hang out with him was a bit hard due to the leash on him, but you both did your best. He was a good friend, he’d always listen to your worries and give you a safe space. A bit awkward, but he tried.
⮑ Post crisis core well… that’s a whole other vibe. Becoming friends with him while he’s on his whole “destroying the world” would be near impossible, so for the sake of this and my sanity, we’re going with you were already friends before he went mad. That being said, he wouldn’t kill you? His love for you is strong enough to not want to hurt you directly, at least in the beginning. He leaves you alone and may even protect you from Hojo or Shrina if need be. He isn’t a good friend, but what’s left of his mind, that feels strongly for you.
C - cuddles (do they like to cuddle? how would they cuddle?)
⮑ So uh… in case it wasn’t obvious, our poor boy grew up in a lab. With no affection. He wouldn’t even originally know what cuddling is. It’s a whole new territory for him. At first I don’t think he would enjoy it, it’s too weak for him. It’s dangerous. But he craved it soooo much. Once that wall was broken down, he thoroughly enjoyed it.
⮑ Pre/during crisis core, he feels comforted by your cuddles. A rough mission, was just experimented on, or simply because he wants to be with you. His favorite positions vary on who’s the more dominant personality and his vulnerable he’s feeling. I don’t think he likes his hair messed with (he’d get yelled at a lot if it got tangled), but he loves to lay in your lap and have your fingers run through his hair. He likes having you on top of him! When you sleep on top of his chest he feels so warm.
⮑ Post crisis core, his cuddling becomes more possessive than anything. You’re not allowed to leave him. He’s terrified you will. Plus, if you’ve stuck around this long, Jenova clearly likes you, she won’t want you to go either. He’s less cuddly, he’s less himself. But he still could.
F - fiance(e) (how do they feel about commitment? do they wanna get married?)
⮑ Sephiroth has a warped perception of commitment and marriage. You can’t change my mind on that. Now of course he didn’t know who his parents were, and when he found out about Jenova, I don’t think he ever found out about Lucrecia and Hojo being his biological parents, or their marital issues. He learns on his surroundings, how people treat each other in relationships, or in books and media. Don’t get me started on how Genesis preaching about loveless got to him in the beginning…
⮑ Pre/during crisis core—once he understands commitment and marriage—I honestly believe his heart craves for it. Love, belonging, a home. He is committed to you and only you, he cannot find it in his heart to love someone else the way he loves you. I don’t see him as someone who’d even sleep around. Love and intimacy are interlinked. Only an overpowered alien has the power to break that dammit Jenova. If he has the freedom and choice, if he believes it’s safe for you, he would love to marry you. He wishes he could separate from Shinra and settle down with you.
⮑ Post crisis core is uh… I’m not gonna sugar coat it this man is toxic. His is committed to Jenova and his beliefs first and foremost. And if you benefit it—or at the least— don’t interfere with it, then he will keep you around. He has no interest in being in a relationship with anyone else. See, the problem isn’t him leaving you. It’s never letting you leave. The idea of you two getting married is fucked. That’s something humans do, you both are above that. And marriages don’t make things permanent.
S - security (how protective are they?)
⮑ Hah… he was raised to be the perfect soldier, overprotective and then some. Both versions in a different way. See, I’m a firm believer that had Sephiroth been given the chance, he’d be very kind and caring towards those around him. He is capable of it. Being protective I believe can come naturally to him. But that’s in another life. In this one, it was drilled into the deepest parts of him. It’s a second instinct. He doesn’t have much of a say in that.
⮑ Pre/during crisis core he is a gentleman with how protective he is. His very presence demands respect and he knows it. He usually doesn’t have to lift a finger to protect you. Unless it against monsters and such, then he won’t hesitate to cut them down. And if I a fool ignores the warnings? He’ll cut them down too. At least this version, will give them a chance to live. Especially if you ask him to make sure they don’t die.
⮑ Post crisis core. His protectiveness is more so possessiveness. No one is allowed to touch what is his. There is no patience, there is no compromise. If someone so much as looks at you funny… and help the poor souls who day try something, he will tear them to pieces.
V - vanity (how concerned are they with their looks?)
⮑ Most of his vanity is not his say or control. It’s the lab or those in control of media. Everything about him was heavily inspected. The only say he he really had I believe, is letting his hair grow out. And even that he was monitored and scolded for if he didn’t do it right. If he’s concerned with his looks, it’s because of how he was raised, the indoctrination and trauma drilled into him.
⮑ Post crisis core, I think those parts of him are still there. Vanity, cleanliness, control. Especially control… he doesn’t care for how he looks. But it’s not one of his main concerns.
Cloud Strife Should Have Been Your Enemy But Instead He Is Your Lover
Pairing: Cloud Strife x Reader
Tags: fluff, secret relationship, enemies to lovers, precious time, kissing, tension
Prompt: They were raised to hate each other. But then they meet, outside the context, outside the war, and start to realize they’re not what they were taught. And it wrecks them both. - List
Ko-Fi | Rules | Fandoms and Characters | Commissions
A/N: I got my friend into Final Fantasy! Writing this to celebrate that! Enjoy, comment, reblog and all that good stuff!
A tight, dimly lit allayway wasn't really an ideal spot to meet your boyfriend, but... when your boyfriend was one of your mortal enemies you couldn't really be too picky. It wasn't like you could walk down the street holding hands, kissing and flirting or kissing and whispering sweet nothings as you rent a room for the night. That was for normal couples. Couples where the pair isn't supposed to kill each other.
You and Cloud were supposed to be enemies, and for all everyone else knew, you were still enemies. There were a few places where you could go, a vacation, for which you would have to plan for months in advance. No time for that. Instead all you had was a amount of limited time in this limited space.
When these dates, if one could call them that, started it wasn't without a few fist fights and cutting words. In between those a few flirty lines snuck in, and after that kisses followed.
Right now it was almost funny to you and you grinned when you saw Cloud sneaking through the shady looking streets into an an even shadier looking alley to meet you with the same grin.
He looked over his shoulder before leaning in to kiss you properly. You missed the feeling of his lips on yours, you wanted to drink in every sensation of him that didn't involve fighting. "You're a little tense. Were you followed? Is that why it took you a while to get here?"
Cloud fidgeted in place, as much as he could when he was trapped between you and a stone wall. "I don't think I was followed, but I'm a little shorter on time today. Apparently I need to rest and recover, no thanks to a certain someone." He poked you into your ribs, a spot he knew he hit during your fight the day before.
You grunted and poked him back, making him grunt as well. "Want me to kiss it better? Without clothes in the way I mean."
A pink hue spread across his face, over the bridge of his nose. "We'd need to rent a room for that. I don't think we can right now but... some other time I'd love to... help each other heal from inflicted injuries."
The fact that you gave those injuries to each other could be overlooked for the time being. Actually part of you suspected that you both targeted areas for which clothes would have to come off to kiss them better. It was a really masochistic style of foreplay. But it worked for the two of you just fine.
As long as you didn't get discovered. Even if you did you were both prepared to make a stand for your love.
The first few times you copied the way his brows furrowed into a scowling vee or how he pursed those sculpted lips in a tight, thin line after getting flustered, Cloud didn't seem to take much notice.
Figured you were just being your typical bubbly, mischievous self poking fun.
But when he unleashed a bristling torrent of gravelly curses after mashing his thumb with the Buster Sword's pommel, only for you to parrot the same salty tirade with startling accuracy right down to his gruff intonation? He stopped dead in his tracks, penetrating mako eyes widening a fraction.
Wheeling around, Cloud didn't bother smothering his bemused chuckle at catching you standing there doing your best imitation - brows knit fiercely, plush lips twisted into a scowl even as you tried stifling your own giggles behind your palm.
You simply flashed those doe eyes up at him, the picture of faux innocence.
"Think that's funny, do you?"
Despite the stern words, you could hear the begrudging warmth rumbling in his baritone as Cloud closed the distance between you two. Before you could squirm away, one of those sinewy arms looped low around your waist, reeling your squirming form flush against his chiseled torso.
"Go ahead and laugh it up while you can," he husked against the crown of your hair, sounding almost...proud?
"Reckon you've got me down pat. Just don't go picking up any other bad habits from your dumb boyfriend."
After that, it became your favorite game - randomly spouting off one of Cloud's trademark gruff remarks or emulating his rigid posture and flinty-eyed glower out of nowhere.
Each time, you'd be rewarded with a lopsided smirk and a shake of that spiky blond head accompanied by a fond eyeroll.
That unbreakable composure he ordinarily maintains only seems to genuinely fracture whenever you mimic the few exceedingly rare glimpses of vulnerability Cloud permits to slip past his sky-high defenses.
So the first time you caught him in the shower fresh from another night terror, haunted mako-infused gaze glassy and dull...and decided to parrot the hollowed-out, deadened murmurs of broken fragments like "don't...wake...not real..." barely above a whimper?
You swear you saw his heroic facade shatter for an instant.
In a blink, Cloud closed the distance between you two, stout fingers cupping your jaw with surprising tenderness. Peering down at you with those luminous eyes swimming in sorrow and self-recrimination, he rasped your name with tangible pain lacing every syllable.
"Fuck, don't...don't ever do that again." Just like that, any lingering threads of mirth dissipated entirely.
"Please?"
He exhaled shakily, thumb caressing your cheekbone.
After snagging a searing yet chaste kiss, Cloud tugged you into the circle of his embrace, chin nestled atop your crown.
"You wanna mimic your dumb jackass mercenary? Fine, copy the stupid stuff. But not..." Another tremor wracked his powerful frame. "Not that. Not the darkest parts of this mess inside me. Those can stay buried."
Burrowing closer into his soothing warmth, you simply nodded wordlessly against the broad expanse of his chest.
Because as adept as you've become at perfectly emulating every facet of Cloud Strife, you know better than to pry deeper into the darkest recesses of his haunted psyche.
Some wounds are better off left unexhumed and undisturbed - cauterized with unspoken tenderness.
So you vowed to keep the mimicry lighthearted and silly, restoring those flashes of pure contentment and boyish grins his mercenary persona suppresses as penance for more sins than any one man should bear.
Those rare, fleeting slivers of joy were more than worth playfully shouldering his brooding stoicism, after all - if only to remind both of you that indomitable heroes can find refuge in simple delights, too.
Unpopular opinion, but I think Sephiroth would be the type of person to dress in comfy dark academia/loose minimalist MUJI core outfits instead of goth/punk if he had a choice.
Not that I dislike the goth style hc, I enjoy that one too. Hell it probably runs in the family /coughs Vincent and Grimoire /coughs but I prefer the minimalist/comfy look bc that man has to be tired of constantly wearing skin tight leather and straps 😭😭
I figure there's as many kinds of musicals in the world of FF7 as there are in the real world. Here are some niches I imagine there's at least one musical to fill:
Allegorical criticism of Shinra's imperialism
Allegorical criticism of capitalism
Romantic comedy
Dark comedy satirizing society's dysfunctions
Cats
Romantic horror
Adaptation of a children's story
Period drama
Embarrassingly sanitized history of Shinra's rise to power
