How does Cloud do it? (a somewhat bizarre rationale)

[sekiharatae]

So... I never write Cloud having sex as a fumbling first-timer.  This is largely because it's more fun if he knows what he's doing.  (Right?  Right.)  I have, however, made up an excuse as to how or why this can be so:

Jenova.

Her wicked ways know no bounds.

It's accepted fact that Jenova is the reason Cloud starts out in FFVII thinking Zack's memories are his own.  (Actually, there's some argument that he didn't base his persona on Zack's actual memories, but on memories of the stories Zack told him.  I tend to believe it's the first, but, if you adhere to the second, don't give up on me yet.)  Jenova is also the reason Cloud "woke up" when he met Tifa.  The Jenova cells he carried used her memories to piece together a past for him, and then forced it on his poor, mako addled thoughts.

So what's to have prevented him from soaking up information from everyone he met, rather like a sponge?

Genesis' experiences alone could account for an awful lot of know-how if Cloud absorbed them.  Then you can add in Zack's, and -- icky as the thought is -- whatever demented sexual fantasies Hojo might have had.

That's my story, anyway, cracky though it might be.  (At least I have a rationale, right? That's more than just saying, "Because I said so, hah!") 

Comments

[yuenmei.livejournal.com]

Hmmmmmmmm. Very interesting. It's been so long since I've played the game, everything's all fuzzy to me. Do you know of any sites that kind of... outline what's real and whats fake in relation to Cloud? Or is replaying the only way to really grasp that... not that I'd terribly mind replaying...

[sekiharatae.livejournal.com]

I haven't played the game in quite awhile, either, and I've only played it once. (RPGs aren't my thing. I'm a platformer girl!)

The final fantasy wiki talks about how Cloud developed his persona from Zack and Tifa's memories, and has some information on how Jenova supposedly "works". I know I've read essays and arguments on other sites and forums, but I don't have links anymore. =( I sorry.

As for what's real and what's not, the scenes where Cloud hears a second voice and sort of collapses are supposed to indicate that his real self is at odds with or surfacing from the false one. There are music cues as well (or so I've read, I don't really remember).

[nrgburst]

Makes sense to me. (^_-) He's also got to have heard all the other grunts talking while he was in Shinra- my hubby is in the airforce and he spent a lot of time talking about girls with his buddies while in basic training. (Mostly talking because they weren't allowed off base a lot.) It's not the same as first hand experience, but surely it helps to know what goes where, crude though the talk may be...