Lookin' At You Is Makin' Me Sober.

[rionaleonhart]

(In Mideel, Cloud gives the little white Chocobo some Greens. The Chocobo is very pleased by this turn of events.)
Cloud: Ha, ha. You're pretty cute. Here, I'm gonna tickle you a bit.

I take it all back; Cloud is absolutely a badass.

Also on the topic of 'things I can't quite believe actually happened in this game':

(Vincent returns for the final fight against Sephiroth.)
Cloud: Vincent!
Vincent: Why such a puzzled look? You don't want me to come?
Cloud: No, it's just that you're always so cold. I thought you didn't care what was happening.
Vincent: Cool? Hmm... I guess that's just how I am, sorry. (BACKFLIPS AWAY)

I SAID 'COLD', VINCENT, NOT 'COOL'.

I was uneasy at first about using Vincent due to his gameplay drawbacks. By the end, though, my Yuffie was so hilariously overpowered that I sort of needed Vincent in my party to provide a tiny bit of challenge.

Yuffie, unfortunately, was not quite overpowered enough to prepare me for my horrible mistake on the world map. 'Hey, what's that little red dancing thing in the desert?' (GAME OVER)


The very last shot of Final Fantasy VII sort of makes me want a Last of Us AU. I'm not sure which characters it should focus on, though. Cloud, obviously, because there's no better candidate for a zombie apocalypse than a character who has constant mental breakdowns even in non-apocalyptic situations. Who else?

This is purely theoretical, of course. I'm afraid I'm unlikely to write this. The trouble with Final Fantasy/Last of Us crossovers is that Final Fantasy characters tend to be extremely powerful warriors, and fictional apocalypses are more fun if the characters you throw into them are completely unprepared.

Maybe Tseng? He's a Turk, but he doesn't strike me as someone inclined to get his hands dirty. It might be interesting to see him in a situation where he has to fight for himself. (It's entirely possible that we see him fighting in one of the many spinoffs, of course.)


I suppose I should watch Advent Children at last! I'm, er, not sure whether I should investigate Dirge of Cerberus. I started watching a cutscene compilation and got about twenty minutes in before I had to turn it off. There's a bit where Reeve gets shot, but then it turns out that it is not in fact Reeve but a robotic replica of Reeve, who is being controlled by Cait Sith, who is being controlled by Reeve. I couldn't really cope with that.

(Come to think of it, I'm sort of surprised Reeve has never really caught my attention as a character, given my general love of redemption storylines. Maybe I just haven't looked at him hard enough.)

Comments

[thebaconfat]

Vincent: Cool? Hmm... I guess that's just how I am, sorry. (BACKFLIPS AWAY)

I SAID 'COLD', VINCENT, NOT 'COOL'.

Squeem and I laughed SO HARD.

Cid tickling the chocobo is also amazing!!!

I would really, really love to read your FFVII fanfic, but I also am never quite sure what I want out of FFVII fanfic because the game doesn't leave me wanting a whole lot. Except for like, ridiculous team stuff with betting on chocobo races. And being in chocobo races. And the Last of Us AU where Zack and Cloud are travelling together?

Also I really want Tifa/Rude fanfic. And I am sure you have read it already but just in case you haven't, Thorne's How To Succeed In Sexual Blackmail Without Really Trying is fantastic. I feel like there is probably a shitload of really good FFVII fanfic out there that I would enjoy but I am little scared to dip my feet in the pool.

I still haven't watched Advent Children either! If only we could watch it together. I feel like it would be best experienced in a group for mockery purposes.

There's a bit where Reeve gets shot, but then it turns out that it is not in fact Reeve but a robotic replica of Reeve, who is being controlled by Cait Sith, who is being controlled by Reeve. I couldn't really cope with that.

I am like crying with laughter at this, ohhhhhh

[rionaleonhart]

And the Last of Us AU where Zack and Cloud are travelling together?

Oh, man, you're absolutely right; Zack and Cloud would be the perfect combination for this. But incredibly messed-up Cloud is my favourite Cloud, and I feel he'll probably be insufficiently unstable if Zack is alive. Maybe Zack is killed halfway through the fic?

This is a horrible hypothetical fic, but I still want it.

Also I really want Tifa/Rude fanfic.

You've reminded me that, speaking of Turk/party member pairings, I'm actually weirdly intrigued by Tseng/Aerith. I suppose the fact that he's known her since she was a child makes things a bit odd, though.

Thank you so much for the link to Thorne's fic; I'm about a third of the way through and I can't tell you how happy it's making me.

I dream of a world where I can hop on the Highwind and zip over to watch Advent Children with you. Alas!

If you're curious about the ridiculous Reeve scene, which really illustrates what a gigantic (if handsome) weirdo Reeve is, it's over here. (I only just noticed Vincent refusing Cait's high-five on this rewatch. Ha!)

[thebaconfat]

Maybe Zack is killed halfway through the fic?

yesssssss, this is perfect. Then Cloud in all his unstable glory encounters the rest of the cast and ends up teaming up with them while constantly talking about what a loner he is.

Oh my gosh, I laughed so hard when Reeve got shot. Also I'm disturbed by how much Vincent sounds like Solid Snake. The voice acting is not nearly as ridiculously, deliberately monotone as he sounds in my head.

[thebaconfat]

Ugh, now I am reading the Cloud/Reno too and being reminded of how much I love these characters. Tifa offering to beat Reno up on Cloud's behalf!!

[thebaconfat]

Also, I haven't tested this, but Catt once told me (in these comments somewhere) that in your battles with the Turks, Rude won't hit Tifa. Amazing.

[rionaleonhart]

Then Cloud in all his unstable glory encounters the rest of the cast and ends up teaming up with them while constantly talking about what a loner he is.

Oh no, I am now intensely aware of how much this Last of Us AU needs to exist. Somebody write it! I don't have these characters' voices!

I've definitely heard about Rude refusing to hit Tifa before! (I was about to say 'AND TSENG WON'T HIT AERITH' because obviously you never actually fight Tseng, ha ha ha, but then I remembered that Tseng still manages to hit her once outside battle. Damn it, Tseng, give me something to work with!)

[rionaleonhart]

Further to Rude not attacking Tifa: the Final Fantasy Wiki actually has a breakdown of Rude's battle AI. The relevant bit:


Choose Random Opponent who isn't Tifa
If (Target exists) Then
Use [Shoulder Attack] on Target
} Else {
1/3 Chance: Print Message [Rude ".................."]
2/3 Chance:
Choose Tifa
Use [Shoulder Attack] on Target


So, basically, so long as someone who isn't Tifa is conscious, Reno will attack them rather than her. If Tifa's the last one standing, Rude might attack her, but there's a one-in-three chance that he'll let his turn pass by with a '..................' instead. I almost like that more than him refusing to attack her at all; he tries to follow his orders, but he's obviously incredibly conflicted over it. (If you fight him in Midgar at the end of Disc 2 and she's the last one standing, there's only a one-in-three chance that he'll attack.)

[thebaconfat]

Ugh, yes, this is even MORE endearing somehow. He is trying to do his job.

[thebaconfat]

Now I just to want to read all the things about Rude hanging out at the rebuilt 7th Heaven making ellipses at Tifa while everyone else has adventures in the background.