The General Turks Worship Thread

[Soakette]

Isn't there a part in the novella where Veld is present and it looked like they were ALMOST gonna get all touchy-feely-weepy about their 'friendship', but Veld cuts it off just in time. I think that just fits right with their characters-- and with that in mind I don't think we're gonna get some hint of mush from these guys BUT if SE is ever going to explore ElenaxTseng, I can't imagine it being all sweet and gentle instead of hardcore (because it suits them better )

I have read CoS ALOT and I don't recall that part. The only part Veld is in, is when all the turks decide to take a nap and they do, and then Veld walks in all like.. since when do Turks take nap? lol.

As for paying Hito to do tranlating work, we did discuss in the IRC about it. I was bitching a little cause im such a Turk whore and want to read it all! (And then I saw in an update from him saying something like I will get it done when I feel like it . Which kinda got me mad because I think if you say your going to do something then you should try to do it, espcially since alot of people were very excited for it. And he did start it so he should finish it. But if he's busy then I understand.. I guess.) But then people suggested I should donate to him to motivate him but I am not willing to donate to someone who MIGHT do the work, If I donate my money I want it to be to someone who WILL get it done. Like fangu said, their would have to be some kind of written agreement and whatnot.

Sorry if that post sounded harsh, I love Hito <3

 

[Unlucky]

By late night, Tseng and Elena who came to check on them helped with the work but it wasn&#8217;t until morning before they finished. Returning home, the four of them decided they should take a nap but they were woken up before it was even daylight by Veld.
&#8220;You gave me quite a surprise for an old man who&#8217;s supposed to be dead.&#8221;
&#8220;I should be the one surprised that Turks are sleeping for this long.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re just happy we could see you again.&#8221;
&#8220;&#8212;&#8221; Veld replied to Reno&#8217;s smile with silence and began his report on Junon&#8217;s Liutenant Kylegate. &#8220;The liutenant was supposed to be on vacation but he summoned his troops here to Midgar. This morning he organised an assembly at the east side of Midgar to perform a speech. He proposed to build a new city on these grounds and had people gather tools that belongs to Shinra&#8212;&#8221;
&#8220;Veld&#8230; Sir,&#8221; Tseng began unsure how to address his former superior. &#8220;Your information conforms to what we have gathered but please tell me. On what grounds do you come to us with this information?&#8221;
Rude and Reno looked at each other, unsure of what Tseng&#8217;s intentions were. Veld was like a father who raised the Turks.
&#8220;A reason&#8212;&#8221; Veld&#8217;s eyes narrowed. &#8220;Retribution or perhaps paying back a favour?&#8221;
&#8220;&#8212;I thank you for your information but there is no need for retribution and you don&#8217;t owe any favours.&#8221;
&#8220;What the hell, &#8221; cut in Reno with an irritated voice, &#8220;What&#8217;s all this about needing a reason for information and retribution? Who cares about that? I&#8217;m just simply&#8212;&#8221;
&#8220;Simply what?&#8221; Tseng invited him to continue but Reno quietened down.
Seeing Reno&#8217;s reaction, Veld began speaking again, &#8220;Reno. You Turks are like my&#8212;&#8221;But he too couldn&#8217;t speak out the last few words and swallowing them, the room fell into silence. A moment later, Reno opened his mouth again as if he had repented on how he had acted earlier like a young boy.

Alright 'touchy-feely-weepy' was exaggerated, sorry I just felt that Veld wanted to say that he came to help them because they were important to him, but just didn't go on because maybe there's no need to say it or it's not like them to talk about such things. Hmmm maybe I have to get to know them more like you guys to avoid misinterpreting stuff like this.



I remember coming across the new novel translation by hito but I didn't know that there was a donation involved. And yeah I hope there will be an update soon because the last time I saw it only one chapter was up and that was quite a while. But I can wait of course, translating is a tough job.

 

[Soakette]

You know, wow my bad, I thought you were talking about Elena and Tseng almost getting touchy feely! Ugh this is what waking up real early does to me. Sorry about that!

Although I don't think Veld is the type to get touchy-feely, I understand what your saying, Veld cares about the Turks like his own family. Maybe he felt like he couldn't tell them because he didn't want to seem soft and whatnot. I love Veld, we need more of him.

 

[Unlucky]

It's ok, I also tend to misinterpret a lot of things and jump into my own conclusions (like Tseng resting during the mission )

It's surprising there's no mention of Veld in the OG & AC, I mean, you really have to do some research yourself to know he even exists. I don't know, just my opinion, but if you're just the average fan who only got to experience the stuff that's widely released, you tend to miss out on great characters.

 

[Soakette]

Well you see a lot of him and learn more about him in BC. They have LP youtube videos on BC you can watch. It's really not our fault though that we don't get enough of him or the other BC Turks. Its all squares fault in their evilness for only serrving Japan and shit. They don't understand how much of a fanbase they have over in NA and Europe I don't think. Or maybe they do and they just want to make use suffer!

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Everybody's probably already read this, but - good Tseng/Elena fic.
http://karanguni.livejournal.com/36817.html?thread=280273
(I should add that I don't ship Veld/Tseng and in fact it repels me... No offense to those who do; that's just my personal gut reaction)
I also love this one - you have to scroll down to 'Rookie':
http://karanguni.livejournal.com/27700.html

The tie fetish thing is so hot.

I feel like in their world it would go one of two ways: Karanguni's way, in which everybody sleeps with everybody else in the department, and their willingness to fuck you shows that you've been accepted as one of them; or [my preferred way] where physical entanglements/romantic love between Turks is viewed as almost incestuous and is deeply frowned on because it's likely to screw up the department dynamics for everybody.

 

[Unlucky]

I know right The novellas themselves are good examples, I don't understand why they didn't provide official English translations for all of them. The fact that AC and almost all their games are available in different languages means they are aware of their wide fan base outside of Japan. Just... why SE

I started watching the BC videos in YT, and I just have to say this again, what the hell happened to Reno in AC My point still stands about his AC version being not that bad at least for the movie itself, I just felt that the humor factor in that flick will fall flat if Reno pulls it off in a different way. But if we're really dead serious about this collaboration, BC/OG Reno is the right version for it

 

[Unlucky]

I feel like in their world it would go one of two ways: Karanguni's way, in which everybody sleeps with everybody else in the department, and their willingness to fuck you shows that you've been accepted as one of them; or [my preferred way] where physical entanglements/romantic love between Turks is viewed as almost incestuous and is deeply frowned on because it's likely to screw up the department dynamics for everybody.

Wow Lic this is a very good point I never gave a thought about beforehand. I think both ways are possible actually. Let's just say I like to think of it as a combination of both (e.g. Reno [or anyone else] and Elena screwed each other beforehand as her 'initiation', then time passes and they develop this familial bond that thinking about what happened back then seemed off now)

 

[Octo]

I hadn' read 'Rookie' before but I really liked it, and Tradition....hnnngh

(I should add that I don't ship Veld/Tseng and in fact it repels me... No offense to those who do; that's just my personal gut reaction)

Yeah, I don't get Veld/Tseng either. Mainly because I'm convinced Veld is a father figure to him and it would just be weird. But also because its kind of implied that Tseng would be the uke in that equation and that just does not compute with me at all. Everything I like about Tseng revolves around him being dominant (not that the few fics I've read where Elena takes charge havent been hot though!) I guess its wrong, but I just don't like to see him being an uke when it comes to yaoi because its kind of feminising to me, and despite the long hair, I like my men manly dammit!

EDIT: Actually that kind of strikes me as unfair. Like I'm saying an uke/bottom can't be manly. I'm sure they can, but I'm just talking about what goes on in my brain here. Like male and female USB connectors, the thing that goes inside is the male.

Not that Veld being an uke would be any better though, somehow its worse.

I feel like in their world it would go one of two ways: Karanguni's way, in which everybody sleeps with everybody else in the department, and their willingness to fuck you shows that you've been accepted as one of them; or [my preferred way] where physical entanglements/romantic love between Turks is viewed as almost incestuous and is deeply frowned on because it's likely to screw up the department dynamics for everybody.

I dunno, as much as I like the theory of an all Turk fuckfest, I don't think it would be practical at all. Especially when it just came to the four of them. Poor Elena would get a bit chaffed

But on the other hand, not being able to have sex/relationships at all would probably be just as detrimental. I don't get the feeling that Turks can maintain 'normal' relationships with civilians/non-Turks. The job is just far too demanding time wise, and its a cliche but its kind of unfair to have some poor sod sitting at home wondering if this is the day they get 'the phonecall' you know?

And yeah, one night stands with strangers is always an option, but I don't think it fills an emotional need, and I guess theres no subsitute for fucking someone who actually gives a shit about you, even if it can't exactly be called 'love'. So I think they have to do something to stay sane.

For me, the most likely scenario is back when Veld was in charge it was frowned upon, but Turks being Turks it went on anyway. Then later, when it was just the four of them I guess nobody really gave a shit anymore. Tseng just became weary of the situation and thought 'fuck it, I'll ask her to dinner' and I don't believe he couldn't have known so either he had something in mind or he just wanted to torture her a bit with the possibility. Either way its delicious

 

[Fangu]

I feel like in their world it would go one of two ways: Karanguni's way, in which everybody sleeps with everybody else in the department, and their willingness to fuck you shows that you've been accepted as one of them; or [my preferred way] where physical entanglements/romantic love between Turks is viewed as almost incestuous and is deeply frowned on because it's likely to screw up the department dynamics for everybody.

For shameless smut: The first.
For realistic smut: The second.

I like both. Sister coyote writes the first really well. It's the kind of smut you want to read when you just want your smut to be smutty The second takes a little more effort, but I appreciate the realism in those.

 

[Morello]

(Presses 'thanks' for ALL the posts I've missed...)

It's the school holidays here so I've been away with the kids for most of the last three days, and I've missed so much great conversation!

If there's going to be a doujinshi collaboration, I'd love to collaborate, although you probably have enough writers already, and I can only draw (a bit) if I have reference pictures. But I'd love to discuss plot lines.

The Turks are so Tarantino or vice versa. According to the Uncyclopedia “The Turks (the Tarantino Über Radical Knockout Squadron) is a gang of assassins with a suit-fetish formed with the purpose of kidnapping little girls in pink dresses. Girls who like flowers. This is so fucking evil.”
Here:http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Shinra_Electric_Power_Company
It's harsh but a lot of it is funny.

As for Turk on Turk action, I usually prefer Licorice's second option - where sexual/romantic relationships are frowned upon, because it makes for so much more interesting tension when it happens. It must happen sometimes in that kind of job, with those kinds of pressures.

But I'm also not at all averse to smut for smut's sake, and then it's a general omnislash. As for Elena's chafing problem - I'm sure she could live with that. In the circumstances.

 

[Unlucky]

Uhmmm...

I have a bit of a problem about yaoi actually (not yaoi in general for I'm actually a fan, but Turk yaoi specifically). Of course if I just take it lightly and appreciate the smut for what it is (ie, for fun) then that's absolutely fine with me. However in the context of how I see these guys,I just don't think that the males are up for screwing each other If we're going to be realistic here (at least from my point of view), I can imagine the guys hitting on Elena, because just like what Octo said, one night stands aren't fulfilling enough (though they do resort to it somehow, imo). But guy on guy action among them is most unlikely for me. I hope I don't get banished for this What do you guys think?

And like I said Turk yaoi can be interesting to me too, but one pairing in particular just irks me. Again I hope I don't get banished for this but its...

TsengxRufus

It's because... 1) Rufus strikes me as someone who only faps to himself and 2) it reminds me of countless fanart I've seen of Tseng looking after Rufus as a kid and to me therefore screams Tseng =

Spoiler

(lol sorry for this!)

Maybe I'll get used to it in a while... or you guys can convince me somehow

I dunno, as much as I like the theory of an all Turk fuckfest, I don't think it would be practical at all. Especially when it just came to the four of them. Poor Elena would get a bit chaffed

THIS, this was what I wanted to say, although ElenaxEverybody isn't so bad at all

For me, the most likely scenario is back when Veld was in charge it was frowned upon, but Turks being Turks it went on anyway. Then later, when it was just the four of them I guess nobody really gave a shit anymore. Tseng just became weary of the situation and thought 'fuck it, I'll ask her to dinner' and I don't believe he couldn't have known so either he had something in mind or he just wanted to torture her a bit with the possibility. Either way its delicious

Also THIS. I can also imagine them being promiscuous with one another back then, but stopped being so when only the four of them are left. Although Reno (he's the one I think who might actually do this) occasionally bugs Elena by going 'Hey, remember when we used to blah blah' just for humor's sake or whenever he wants her to know he wants some.

And lastly, somehow I believe Tseng already knows or at least isn't totally clueless about it, but he's too busy acting formal and shit.

 

[Fangu]

And yeah, one night stands with strangers is always an option, but I don't think it fills an emotional need, and I guess theres no subsitute for fucking someone who actually gives a shit about you, even if it can't exactly be called 'love'. So I think they have to do something to stay sane.

It definitely fills an emotional need (attention, company, interaction), but not "trusted love". The Turks gets trust somewhere else: from their co-workers. I believe their working bonds is so strong, they wouldn't need to have a relationship to fill that need in their lives. The sex slash one night stands would be for the physical need (duh!), but also for the fun and freedom that light spirited sex gives you. The problem with really good sex with a person is that you grow addicted to the sex, then you start liking the person too much (damn hormones!), even if your intention was to not have a relationship. And then you're on the slope to a broken heart (if the relationship can never happen.)

I'd say two Turks could easily fuck a couple of times, but if it was to be routine, there are too many traps to fall into. (Seeking attention from that person, jealousy, a sense of loneliness when that person isn't there for company). Which is why I believe a "no sex with co-workers" rule would be smart in a work environment like the Turks have.

Then later, when it was just the four of them I guess nobody really gave a shit anymore. Tseng just became weary of the situation and thought 'fuck it, I'll ask her to dinner' and I don't believe he couldn't have known so either he had something in mind or he just wanted to torture her a bit with the possibility. Either way its delicious

I got the impression he definitely knew she liked him. The dinner thing was probably just a "job celebrating" thing, but he chuckles because he knows it would make her knees weak and it amuses him. Maybe he also knows this little crush is something he has to pluck off her as fast as possible because it's not good for business.

Also we can't forget it's a game for teenagers. A little suggestive lurf put in here of there without thinking too much into it (like we do ) happens.

Maybe I'll get used to it in a while... or you guys can convince me somehow

You haven't read Death is Part of the Process, have you

 

[Soakette]

And like I said Turk yaoi can be interesting to me too, but one pairing in particular just irks me. Again I hope I don't get banished for this but its...

TsengxRufus

You are BANISHED!!


Haha No, Just kidding. I love TsengxRufus espeicalliy when Lic wrights about it. Like Fangu said on FF.net look up Death Is Part Of The Process by Lic. It's an amazing story and will get you into the whole Tseng/Rufus idea.

As for the rest of the guys, I love Reno/Rude yaoi. I can totally see them being gay together. There just sooo close that to me it makes sense. But that probably comes from years of reading yaoi fics about them.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Oh, even Tseng knows it's a bad thing to do. He just can't stop himself.

Actually it's my OTP, Pug. Not quite sure how that happened, because, while I'm not at all averse to yaoi, I really prefer het and I adore both Tseng/Aerith and Tseng/Elena. What I like about Tseng/Rufus are the power dynamics; Rufus is above Tseng in the Shinra hierarchy, and he's smarter than Tseng is, but Tseng is older, has more real authority, and actually has responsbility for something and some people. To me there's something classically Greek about it. Plus they have that whole white/black yin/yang thing going.

I couldn't see your picture, Pug. Was it pedobear? If so, I do see what you're driving at. But my headcanon rejects all those "Tseng was Rufus's nanny" scenarios - partly because they are creepy, but mostly because Inthink they're unrealistic. Rufus was the world's richest little boy. He had real nannies, lots of them, and tutors, and he went to an elite private school far from Midgar until his father yanked him out of there in order to make him Vice-President. I really don't think a Turk being groomed to be Veld's replacement would have spent his days taking Rufus for ice-cream and putting bandaids on his skinned knee, however cute that image may be. They didn't really start getting to know each other until Rufus was imprisoned after it was revealed he was funding Avalanche, and he was 17/18 years old by then.

I also like Rufus/Tifa a lot. I'm surprised there's so little Rufus/Aerith. You'd think they'd have a lot to say to each other.

 

[Unlucky]

Actually it's my OTP, Pug. Not quite sure how that happened, because, while I'm not at all averse to yaoi, I really prefer het and I adore both Tseng/Aerith and Tseng/Elena. What I like about Tseng/Rufus are the power dynamics; Rufus is above Tseng in the Shinra hierarchy, and he's smarter than Tseng is, but Tseng is older, has more real authority, and actually has responsbility for something and some people. To me there's something classically Greek about it. Plus they have that whole white/black yin/yang thing going.

Clearly I haven't been reading much Turk fanfics but I see where you're coming from. I'm still having a hard time picturing Rufus having affection for anybody but I do think it's possible. Currently reading your fic right now

I couldn't see your picture, Pug. Was it pedobear? If so, I do see what you're driving at. But my headcanon rejects all those "Tseng was Rufus's nanny" scenarios - partly because they are creepy, but mostly because Inthink they're unrealistic. Rufus was the world's richest little boy. He had real nannies, lots of them, and tutors, and he went to an elite private school far from Midgar until his father yanked him out of there in order to make him Vice-President. I really don't think a Turk being groomed to be Veld's replacement would have spent his days taking Rufus for ice-cream and putting bandaids on his skinned knee. They didn't really start getting to know each other until Rufus was imprisoned after it was revealed he was funding Avalanche, and he was 17/18 years old by then.

At first I thought I'm just missing out on things but now that you've said it (and that I've watched most of the BC videos), babysitter Tseng couldn't be canon. And those fanarts are creepy alright, including those with kid Sephiroth-- just

 

[Octo]

Uhmmm...

I have a bit of a problem about yaoi actually (not yaoi in general for I'm actually a fan, but Turk yaoi specifically). Of course if I just take it lightly and appreciate the smut for what it is (ie, for fun) then that's absolutely fine with me. However in the context of how I see these guys,I just don't think that the males are up for screwing each other If we're going to be realistic here (at least from my point of view), I can imagine the guys hitting on Elena, because just like what Octo said, one night stands aren't fulfilling enough (though they do resort to it somehow, imo). But guy on guy action among them is most unlikely for me. I hope I don't get banished for this What do you guys think?

I used to be more into yaoi than I am now, but I think it was a case of 'any port in a storm' Because there isn't really many believable options for het pairings IMO, (I for one can't really enjoy a pairing if I don't like the character, which leaves me kind of limited given that Tifa and Elena are the only female characters that don't annoy me* )and then anything else is likely to be a Mary Sue and we all hate that right?

Thats my theory as to why there is such a huge amount of yaoi vs het (I might be wrong though) So although its good to have smut of whatever variety, I do wish there was more het because we at least know that Rude and Tseng like girls, even if we were robbed of the chance to find out Reno's preferences!

And like I said Turk yaoi can be interesting to me too, but one pairing in particular just irks me. Again I hope I don't get banished for this but its...

TsengxRufus

It's because... 1) Rufus strikes me as someone who only faps to himself and 2) it reminds me of countless fanart I've seen of Tseng looking after Rufus as a kid and to me therefore screams Tseng =

Spoiler

(lol sorry for this!)

Maybe I'll get used to it in a while... or you guys can convince me somehow

No I know exactly what you mean Pug, I've never been fond of the Tseng/Rufus pairing. Or Rufus/anyone for that matter. I just can't get my head around Rufus having true love/affection for anyone. Maybe thats because I'm too tied up in canon depictions that have never shown him to be anything but self serving. And yeah, he helped a few people in Case of Shinra, but after that he's back to his old self. I dunno

On top of that the general 'fanon' doesn't help when there are so many depictions of Tseng as some sort of nanny/carer for Rufus. It just like...what? I'm expected to believe that this guy who's meant to be a spy/assassin is a babysitter.....and then he falls for Little Lord Fauntleroy? Not only does it make Tseng a bit creepy, but worse it makes him fawning and then I get this whole Smithers/Mr Burns vibe from it and that just sucks.

I can appreciate the aesthetics of the pairing though, and theres definitely a power dynamic, but I don't think that Rufus is smarter than Tseng. I think they're just about equal in that respect. It's just easier for Rufus being in such a privilaged position in life to get stuff done. I often wonder how things would be if the roles were reversed.

So yeah, I totally get where you're coming from. Its a testament to Lic's writing that she makes it believeable.

THIS, this was what I wanted to say, although ElenaxEverybody isn't so bad at all

But maybe only once a fortnight eh?

*not saying that all the other females annoy me all of the time, just that I can't really let go once I've been annoyed by something. I'm stubborn like that.

 

[Morello]

I'm still having a hard time picturing Rufus having affection for anybody but I do think it's possible.

Yes, realistically I think Rufus loves power more than people. He's never been in a position to learn how to love, but I think by AC he does trust the Turks, and loves them platonically more than he loves anyone else.

I love yaoi, and I started out as a Rufus/Reno shipper, but that was mainly for the smut value. If I try to write them together in any serious way it doesn't work out - not as a long-term sexual relationship. I don't think sex is all that important to Rufus. If we're talking realism then I don't think there would be much in-house sex at all. One night stands or attempts at relationships like Rude's with Chelsea seem much more likely, at least in the BC years. Back then there were plenty of other members of staff around.

Fangu's phrase "trusted love" fits exactly how I see the bond between the Turks, especially post meteor. However, I can imagine the possibility of almost any two of them unwittingly falling in love and that becoming sexual in the context of their life at Healen Lodge where they seem to be living together, and almost constantly working together. It probably would be a bad idea, but it might happen in that atmosphere, given the 'fuck it, I'll ask her to dinner' attitude Octo described, which is how things probably would feel after the almost end of the world.

I'd never really thought about Tseng/Rufus until Licorice convinced me of it in "Death is Part of the Process". In fact, I hadn't thought much about Tseng at all until then. But having been shown Tseng's general awesomeness, I naturally got thinking about Tseng/Reno, because I can't get Reno out of my head. And now I tend to write quite a lot of Tseng/Rufus/Reno triangles or unrequited or denied Tseng/Reno.

Reno and Rude I always used to see as the ultimate working relationship and strictly platonic. But recently various things, including notraffic's fanfics, have made me think it works both ways.

In terms of het I like Tseng/Elena or Reno/Elena best. I've read some good Reno/Tifa fics, but that calls for real suspension of disbelief, because it's stretching canon so far.

Thinking about Tseng/Aerith makes my head spin. I can't get a grip on how I feel about it at all. I'm going to try to think about why.

Reno/Aerith I can see working once. She'd do it to rebel, he'd do it because she was there, or to see if he could. But maybe that's just because I'll write Reno with almost anyone.

Spoiler: Confession time

Including Yazoo.

Edit - Octo's post appeared as I was writing this one.

Octo wrote: "I used to be more into yaoi than I am now, but I think it was a case of 'any port in a storm' Because there isn't really many believable options for het pairings IMO, (I for one can't really enjoy a pairing if I don't like the character, which leaves me kind of limited given that Tifa and Elena are the only female characters that don't annoy me* )and then anything else is likely to be a Mary Sue and we all hate that right?

Thats my theory as to why there is such a huge amount of yaoi vs het (I might be wrong though) So although its good to have smut of whatever variety, I do wish there was more het because we at least know that Rude and Tseng like girls, even if we were robbed of the chance to find out Reno's preferences!"

Yes - I think that's definitely part of it for me - the characters I want to write about are mostly male. But I think the main reason is that it's hot, IMO. Why? No idea.

 

[Octo]

Yes, realistically I think Rufus loves power more than people. He's never been in a position to learn how to love, but I think by AC he does trust the Turks, and loves them platonically more than he loves anyone else.

Yeah, I think he has been humbled a little bit, probably not enough for my liking though. I suppose nearly losing everything does make you appreciate what you've got, but then the other side of the coin is you might start thinking you're invincible.

Fangu's phrase "trusted love" fits exactly how I see the bond between the Turks, especially post meteor. However, I can imagine the possibility of almost any two of them unwittingly falling in love and that becoming sexual in the context of their life at Healen Lodge where they seem to be living together, and almost constantly working together. It probably would be a bad idea, but it might happen in that atmosphere, given the 'fuck it, I'll ask her to dinner' attitude Octo described, which is how things probably would feel after the almost end of the world.

Yeah, I think post-AC things have definitely changed, and that makes it more likely that relationships would spring up. There just isn't the same level of risk anymore.

I'd never really thought about Tseng/Rufus until Licorice convinced me of it in "Death is Part of the Process". In fact, I hadn't thought much about Tseng at all until then. But having been shown Tseng's general awesomeness, I naturally got thinking about Tseng/Reno, because I can't get Reno out of my head. And now I tend to write quite a lot of Tseng/Rufus/Reno triangles or unrequited or denied Tseng/Reno.

Tseng/Reno is definitely my favorite yaoi pairing. I'll readily admit that that is a sandwich I would like to be the filling in but my filthy brain aside, I just like their dynamic. Yes, Tseng is technically the boss, but you only have to look at Reno to know he's not one to bow to authority. I think they complement each other well. Reno gives Tseng a chance to relax and let his hair down (excuse the pun) and Tseng gives Reno some sort of grounding and disicpline (and not necessarily in a spanky kind of way )

Reno and Rude I always used to see as the ultimate working relationship and strictly platonic. But recently various things, including notraffic's fanfics, have made me think it works both ways.

I'm more sympathetic (?) to Reno/Rude that I used to be. I just have a hard time imagining Rude as gay, but I have read a few fics that make it more believeable, probably notraffics ones.

Thinking about Tseng/Aerith makes my head spin. I can't get a grip on how I feel about it at all. I'm going to try to think about why.

I think there is the same squicky/creepy element there, we still don't know what the age difference was. The way I like to think of it, Tseng had Aerith on a pedestal of sorts, he probably sincerely believed that she could "bring happiness to those in the slums" I just think being in the kind of dirty job he had, Aerith was the closest he could get to an 'Angel' and a possibility of redemption? I don't think he really saw her how she wanted to be seen, as just a normal girl.

How this translates to sweaty monkey sex I dunno, but the majority of Tseng/Aerith lemons have been of the yawny 'deflowering' kind because shes such a special magical virgin and shit. The rest have usually been in the creepy/rapey territory :/

Yes - I think that's definitely part of it for me - the characters I want to write about are mostly male. But I think the main reason is that it's hot, IMO. Why? No idea.

I used to find yaoi much hotter than I do now, but I don't know why that was, or what changed. I think yaoi, and specifically what about it that gets us girls going, is something that could be discussed for eternity

 

[Fangu]

I've read some good Reno/Tifa fics, but that calls for real suspension of disbelief, because it's stretching canon so far.

Pffffft. Tifa would definitely get down with a Turk. Especially Rude.

How this translates to sweaty monkey sex I dunno, but the majority of Tseng/Aerith lemons have been of the yawny 'deflowering' kind because shes such a special magical virgin and shit.

Oh God yes. Those are the most boring type of shait smut I ever read. Tseng/Aerith is way too angsty for me, at least for smut Though I had this thought of Aerith using Tseng to actually get rid of her 'flower'. I like when Aerith is feisty. I think she's a really naughty girl.

Turk yaoi - naw. Only Tseng/Rufus in DIPOTP. Other than that: Elena/Tseng, Reno/any slutty girl and Tifa/Rude. Reno/Aerith does sound interesting, same with Cid/Elena.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

This is a really long post; I'm home sick today and have lots of time to waffle on about Turks'n'stuff.

I totally agree that it is possible to interpret Rufus as all the things you say: cold, unloving, self-serving, insincere, interested only in power. However, I think there's enough wiggle room to interpret him in another light, especially with all the retcons additional information about his character provided by the Compilation.

For a start, nobody can deny he is brave, sometimes to the point of stupid recklessness. He is arrogant and impulsive: his ill-judged speech to Avalanche about ruling by fear, and his constant insults to Heidegger, who controls his army, are two cases in point. It's really not smart to alienate your Chief of Staff. However, Rufus's courage and determination means he confronts problems head-on and is willing to do whatever it takes to solve them.

He gets a really bad press among the fans for agreeing to the public execution of Barret and Tifa, but (I know I've argued this point before), this was an eminently practical decision. Avalanche was responsible, in a way, for summoning Meteor: they escorted Cloud all the way to the Northern Crater and then he handed the Black Materia to Sephiroth. And Rufus knows that Cloud, like Sephiroth, is an ex-experiment of Hojo's. A public execution was good PR and good politics: it would reassure people that Shinra had the matter under control, and this would help calm down the spreading panic, and maybe even save lives. The Shinra plan to use huge materia to break up the Meteor wasn't a bad one; in fact, it was probably the best one possible under the circumstances. So what I'm saying is, Rufus may have been a self-serving brat to start with, but as the Crisis unfolded he developed into more of a leader who was willing to make difficult decisions and sacrifices in pursuit of a larger good. And he was never afraid to look death straight in the eye.

So I find that his transformation into someone who is sincere in his desire to atone and to help the planet is not unbelievable. Post OG and all his near-death experiences, he has new objectives - what's unchanged is his determination to be the one making the decisions and pulling the strings. No, it isn't even that he wants to be that person, but more his deeply-engrained belief that in the natural order of things, he is that person. And I think the Turks share this belief.

To put it another way - he's not interested in power for its own sake (he was born with that) - he's interested in power because it enables him to do the things he feels need to be done. And he has a strong tendency to believe that his objectives are always the right ones.

I'm not even entirely sure that he is "self-serving" but maybe that's because to me 'self-serving' means making your own interests a priority. But Rufus was born at the top. I prefer to see him as having almost a sense of ownership, custodianship, towards the Planet: it belongs to him (everything belongs to him), it's his birthright. When he was younger he assumed this meant he could squander and exploit it (like kids with their parents' bank accounts) but when he grows up his understanding changes and he feels a sense of noblesse oblige: he has a responsbility to look after the Planet, because it's his.

Also, I don't think the Turks would be so loyal to him if he didn't have a human side; if the respect - and love - wasn't mutual. I choose to believe that he didn't save them from destruction in BC simply because he wanted them to work for him; I think he'd actually come to care for them as people, even if they were the only people he cared about. I once read a really good post-Meteor fic by mysteri1 in which Rufus asks Reno why he stays in Shinra's service, and Reno, after mulling the question over, replies that life with Rufus is never boring. Rufus can always be counted on to do something interesting.

I like Rufus, as a character, because I think you can interpret him as someone who undergoes a huge change over the course of the compilation, while remaining true to his smug, badass, self-centred, controlling self. I can see it would be perfectly possible to characterise him as someone incapable of loving anyone but himself - but

tl;dr: I prefer a more human Rufus.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Hah - I don't believe any of you even read that!!
And so, to punish you, here are some images of the awesomeness that is Rufus Shinra:

Spoiler: 1.Brave and strong

Spoiler: 2.He leaps from tall buildings...

Spoiler: 3.And can still fire a sawn-off shotgun one-handed

Spoiler: 4.Fastidious as a cat

Spoiler: Turks Galore!

Spoiler: Aerial attack, Reno style

 

[Fangu]

Oooooooh is there a gif of Rufus firing his gun in the fight with Cloud on top of the Shinra Building? I love those fight graphics so much <3

Those gifs are awesome to of course

I forgot to comment on your excellent post Lic.

But Rufus was born at the top. I prefer to see him as having almost a sense of ownership, custodianship, towards the Planet: it belongs to him (everything belongs to him), it's his birthright. When he was younger he assumed this meant he could squander and exploit it (like kids with their parents' bank accounts) but when he grows up his understanding changes and he feels a sense of noblesse oblige: he has a responsbility to look after the Planet, because it's his.

I loved especially this paragraph. You put down in words how I've always felt about Rufus.

Words my wrong order come out.

 

[Morello]

Did so read it! And agree with almost all of it, especially the idea that Rufus has a human side, and that his motivation for wanting to put things right comes from a sense of noblesse oblige.

LicoriceAllsorts wrote: "Post OG and all his near-death experiences, he has new objectives - what's unchanged is his determination to be the one making the decisions and pulling the strings. No, it isn't even that he wants to be that person, but more his deeply-engrained belief that in the natural order of things, he is that person. And I think the Turks share this belief.

"To put it another way - he's not interested in power for its own sake (he was born with that) - he's interested in power because it enables him to do the things he feels need to be done. And he has a strong tendency to believe that his objectives are always the right ones."

Yes! The only bit I query is whether he genuinely feels a need to atone. He certainly believes Shinra's cocked things up so far - but most of that wasn't his fault. The decision to build that monument at the heart of Edge to mark the city as Shinra's - that's my Rufus at work. He needs the planet healed and the world rebuilt, but I can't see him quietly funding Reeve for long. I love him, but I don't trust him at all. I can't help feeling that his agenda goes beyond atonement, and what his eventual plans are is still anybody's guess. I bet he syphoned off a few of those Jenova cells before Kadaj caught up with him.

And thank you for posting those pictures. Rufus in muddy wellies is priceless! Where do you find this new art?

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I cannot divulge my sources.
No, actually I can - I search tags on tumblr, and I also do google image searches in Japanese. I only ever find porn of Tifa, though, and it's so OOC for her that it just offends and enrages me (she's usually tied up somehow, and often gagged as well - like she couldn't bust loose from those bonds in seconds!).

I love him, but I don't trust him at all. I can't help feeling that his agenda goes beyond atonement, and what his eventual plans are is still anybody's guess. I bet he syphoned off a few of those Jenova cells before Kadaj caught up with him.

Yes, I agree. He can never be Mr Good Guy - you always have to feel that he has a hidden agenda that bodes no good for somebody, even if he doesn't. I know I shouldn't quote my own fic because it makes me look like a smug git, but I did like it when he said to Reno, "Why does everyone always think I'm lying, when all I ever do is tell the truth?" Yes... like the witches in Macbeth tell the truth. But I don't like to think of him as merely selfish. He's more like Cuzco in The Emperor's New Groove: "When are you going to admit that all my ideas are good ones?"