"That feeling of someone else in the room, an intruder, a threat, hangs in the air, but a second glance confirms there's no one. " There's so much to unpack with that statement given the truth about Cloud. One could say that feeling is Sephiroth lurking in the shadows of his mind, or Zack ever the phantom lingering just beyond reach, but most of all I think the threat he feels is himself. And I think that is all but officially confirmed with the following line: "Only him and his own thoughts."
I loved the description of Marco being "like he's a broken copy machine spewing the same image over and over." What a wonderful way of describing the uncanniness of Marco, but also the familiarity. It's like Cloud is just about to touch upon the truth, but there is still so much left to discover.
Also the extended metaphor of the buster sword and his cleaning of it. How he describes it: "The metal shines, and the handle's well-worn, moulded to the shape of his palm, though his fingers sometimes don't feel as if they belong to him." I think he could very well be also talking about himself. The weariness he feels from battle, how he fits in a uniform that he's always wanted, but something about it tugs at his skin and feels unnatural. And of course, the obvious, that he isn't the original owner of the sword. He's an extension, in a way, of the people who weilded it before him but his misfiring mind doesn't remember. Thus when he hears the voice reminding him that there ""Not much point in using it, if it’s only gonna wear and tear, y'know?"" He can't tell if those are his words, or someone elses (Zack, if I am correct).
I also liked the juxtaposition of his remembering the truth (the tiny ants burrowing in his brain with their pitchers) and the violence associated with it, and his memories of his mother which are calmer but also filled with regret.
And then the thought of being a hero is what causes his rhythmic cleaning of the sword to falter and he cuts himself. It's a brief moment of lucidity trying to break through that is quickly squashed and thus why he continues to feel nothing. Also the heaviness of the word hero--a word he associated with the man who would later kill his mother. There's so many layers to that.
I also liked how you explored his and Tifa's relationship. And the strain. That Tifa doesn't exactly trust him, but she cares enough to help him. That dynamic was not always present in the OG, but I feel the remake really highlights that distance between then, something you captured well.
I really like this series and I hope you continue! Excellent work!
Comment on A Day In The Life
Sardonic_Grin on Chapter 2 Fri 06 Jun 2025 10:39PM UTC
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