Chapter Text
Hey guys! I’m back! Welcome to The Silk Glove and the Iron Fist.
The last few months have been difficult. We lost my mom to cancer at the beginning of the year, shortly after I posted my last story, and she was my faithful beta reader. I haven’t felt much like writing until recently, I got the bug again while replaying FF7 Remake. I have a couple of friends (also big FF7 fans and gamers) who have been reading this work for me in my mother's absence, though I do not have a true beta reader anymore.
This series has long been one of my very favorites. I’ve played the OG, Dirge of Cerberus, Remake and Rebirth (can’t wait for the third installment), and have watched Advent Children. I have literal playlists of Final Fantasy music on my Spotify. I. LOVE. THIS. SERIES.
These characters and this world are so fascinating to me, as they’re all so morally grey when you really think about it. It makes them fun to play with. I once read a work by an author whose works on FF.net have since been removed, which is super unfortunate, in my view. It was called A Calculated Risk, and it explored Tifa’s life after becoming a SOLDIER, in a world where Shinra wasn’t so pure evil.
I love the idea that not everyone in Shinra is evil. I have a soft spot for the Turks, and I think that if Rufus had other motivations, he could be quite different than we get in-game.
I’ve had this OC living rent free in my head for a while now. Her name (excuse the repeat if anyone has read the Princess and the Dragon) is Amira Shinra. (I like the name, sue me.)
Some background on this character: She is Rufus Shinra’s baby sister, five years younger than him. Their mother, forced into marriage by Old Man Shinra, was of Cetran lineage. Amira, fortunately or unfortunately, has inherited the traits of the Cetra. She is friends with Aerith Gainsborough, and they are the last two of their kind in the world, making them unimaginably close. As a result, Rufus has always felt wildly protective of his sister, and takes it upon himself to learn about the Planet as a way to understand her better, which makes him very different in his world viewpoint and motives. Rufus’ close relationship with his sister, and their differing approaches in leadership, lead to them being called the Silk Glove and the Iron Fist.
Amira is an engineer, sent to school due to her relentless need to learn the world by taking things apart when she was a child. It is a complementary focus to that of her brother, who has focused on politics and diplomacy. She is in a long-term relationship with Tseng, director of the Turks, as well. Unfortunately for Amira, her being a Cetra has made her a target of the Science department, which leads to her imprisonment for two years under Hojo. This story starts two years after her rescue from his clutches.
This story has TWO versions, both of which I will post here, with TWO endgames for Amira’s romance arc. In this one, she ends up with Vincent Valentine. In the second, she ends up with Tseng. Read it, and you’ll get why. I promise.
I hope you guys enjoy this. I really enjoy writing for you guys. I will say — as far as comments go — I moderate all my comments now, after some toxic GoT fan comments on other stories. If you don’t have anything nice to say, just leave it alone, because I will ignore you and delete the comment.
There are TRIGGER WARNINGS in this work, specifically for imprisonment/torture, and attempted suicide of a character. Hojo is pretty much a walking trigger warning, himself. Be aware of them, as they will be at the tops of the affected chapters, and be safe. Love you guys.