TW: Rape and sexual assault, transphobia, homophobia, sexism
Wall Market
-Back at the clothing shop, they’ll give me a dress if I can find the drunk shop owner.
-Before that, I take my coupon from the Korean BBQ joint to the pharmacy and can get one of three medicines. I opt for a digestive medicine, since I think that’ll help the person in the bar bathroom who I am now pretty sure was not masturbating.
-I head back to that bar and give the woman (and it is a woman) the medicine. She feels better, and gives me “Sexy Cologne” in thanks. I see where this is heading.
-We talk to the clothes shop owner at the same bar. Aeris convinces him that Cloud just wants to try women’s clothing, and now we’re in dress selection mode. I randomly choose the qualities of soft and shiny for the dress.
-The quest to get the increasingly uncomfortable Cloud to look “cute” is on.
He gets a satin dress from the clothing shop, and already has cologne. Next, needs a wig.
-Which takes us to the boxing gym. A boxer named Big Bro is apparently going to supply it if we do squats. Or someone dressed as a woman in the gym may supply it? I’m not sure.
-We get into a squat competition with another boxer who also wants the wig. I’m pretty confused by the controls here, and though I lose the competition I still get the wig. The woman punches the crap out of the Big Bro for having hidden the wig.
-Ok. Now both Aeris and Cloud are in new clothes. While Cloud definitely feels weird, I give the game props for not having the dudes in the shop make fun of him. They just kind of roll with it that Cloud wants to look “cute.”
-It’s time.
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Corneo Hall
-We get waved through, Aeris and her “hot friend.”
-We enter a basement with what appears to be various tools of restraint. Tifa’s down here, and doesn’t seem mind-controlled. Maybe just kidnapped then.
-Aeris introduces herself as with-Cloud-but-not-WITH-with-Cloud way and it’s SUPER AWKWARD LIKE HOLY SHIT.
-LOL – Aeris lets Tifa and Cloud catch up privately by literally plugging her ears so they can talk.
-So after Cloud fell, they squeezed info out of some dude in Sector 5 who brought up Don Corneo. Tifa came in undercover to get the story from Corneo directly. I like this story arc WAY better than what I feared, which was drugs/mind control.
-…Never mind. Tifa just said Don Corneo’s bride-shopping, and “tries” three girls every night. Tifa’s up tonight.
-Cloud YET AGAIN tries the “Aeris, I can’t let you get in danger!” and Aeris predictably and beautifully continues smacking him down. Hell, he tries that on both Tifa and Aeris, and both of them shrug Cloud off. This is awesome.
-Love that Tifa and Aeris are getting along swimmingly now.
-Don Corneo lines up the three, inspects them, and chooses Tifa. It’s suitably gross. He gives Aeris and Cloud to his lackeys.
-The scene switches to Cloud’s room, where 4-5 dudes are getting ready to have sex with him. They chase him around the room in slow motion, but there’s nowhere to run.
Eventually, Cloud reveals himself to be a man, sending the guys into a rage as they attack.
This feels really uncomfortable to watch as a player for a number of reasons. First, it’s someone trying to escape what’s basically gang rape. Second, it brings to mind those “trans panic” scenarios where a trans person gets murdered for trying to “trick” someone. Third, there’s this goofy carnival music and the game’s seems like it’s trying to make this come off as humorous.
I’m really not that knowledgeable about or experienced with this stuff, so I’d love to hear y’all’s thoughts on whether I’m misreading this, overreacting (or underreacting), reading too much into it, or what.
-Ok, now I’m sure I’m not misreading how horrifying this is.
We see Aeris running in panic from the guy she was “given” to, and Cloud goes to help…. Though he doesn’t really help. Aeris doesn’t need it, as she shoves the guy down a flight of stairs.
-They go to help Tifa, who’s facing down some (clothed) pelvic thrusting from Corneo.
Cloud and Aeris bust in, and Cloud LITERALLY THREATENS TO CUT OFF DON CORNEO’S DICK IF HE DOESN’T START TALKING and holy CRAP this game is so much more graphic than the prior games.
-AND AERIS THEN THREATENS TO RIP OFF CORNEO’S DICK FJKLSVNDSJKLVNDJKSLVNDJKLS
-A dude named “Heidegger,” head of Shinra’s “Peace Preservation,” ordered Corneo to search for Barret.
-And finally, to get more information, Tifa threatens to crush Corneo’s balls. Is this Grand Theft Auto?
-Shinra’s trying to infiltrate Avalanche and literally crush their headquarters by destroying the supports around the Sector 7 slums.
-DAMMIT. And he just dumped us down a trap door.
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I don’t simply hate this segment. I like that Tifa and Aeris are both infiltrating this place willingly, and are not just existing to be saved by Cloud. They take care of themselves fine, and continue to kick ass. Cloud isn’t mocked as he dresses up as a woman, beyond some light ribbing from Aeris. Especially loved how cool everyone in the boxing gym was with Aeris wanting a wig to complete his outfit.
But it’s hard to get past the whole “lol rape” threads that run through Corneo Hall. Hard to get past what would have happened in this segment if Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris hadn't been fighters.
I'm really curious how this section was received by the fanbase.
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Next time: hopefully escaping from beneath Corneo Hall.
