SyntheticDesign

Themes & Tropes:

Loss of Autonomy, Secret Relationship, Human Experimentation, Propaganda, Power Imbalance, Institutional Abuse, Trauma, Body Horror, Medical Torture, Corporate Control, Identity Issues, Slow Burn, Corruption, Unethical Science, Psychological & Emotional Control, Exploitation

Physical Traits:

Eye Color: Green (mako eyes)

Hair Color: Light Blonde

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 140 lbs

Build: Slim to Athletic

Important Relationships:

Sephiroth — Azaela and Sephiroth's relationship initially begins with conflict. Sephiroth seemed emotionally distant and unreadable to Azaela, and his brutal training methods and cold pragmatism clashed with her empathy, stubbornness, and constant need to prove herself. However, he allows her to push him out of his comfort zone in ways few others could get away with, and their relationship soon evolves into one of mutual trust and emotional dependence. Azaela has become Sephiroth’s emotional anchor in a world that has only ever demanded obedience from him, while Sephiroth has become one of only a few who consistently see Azaela as more than a product, symbol, or experiment.

Zack Fair — Zack is one of the most consistent, grounding connections in Azaela's life. He offers her uncomplicated friendship and normalcy in moments where she's overwhelmed or full of self-doubt. She comes to depend on his warmth and sincerity as a counterbalance to the harsh realities that become more visible around her. Their friendship is built on trust and emotional openness. While Azaela sometimes sees Zack as overly optimistic, Zack represents what she always believed and idolized about SOLDIER.

Professor Hojo — Hojo's relationship with Azaela is mostly defined by violation disguised as professional interest. After altering her mako infusion without her knowledge and consent, he views her as the result of an experiment rather than a human being and believes that he has ownership over her completely. He repeatedly inserts himself in her life under the guise of monitoring her, never missing an opportunity to remind her that he's responsible for her success in the SOLDIER program. His fascination for her only grows once he realizes Sephiroth is emotionally attached to her. Her interactions with him are deeply unsettling because of his invasiveness, constantly blurring lines between authority, manipulation, and personal fixation. Hojo becomes one of the cleanest and more overt manifestations of her growing lack of autonomy within Shinra.

Myles (OC) — Myles represents one of the last ties Azaela has to life before SOLIDER. Since the two of them met when she enlisted in Shinra's military at thirteen and were bunkmates for many years, Myles believed in her long before anyone else did. He knows the Azaela that existed before she became a public image for Shinra: a deeply compassionate, determined girl who genuinely believed joining SOLDIER was the way she could do the most good.

Likes & Dislikes:

Likes: sugar (in any form, but would consume a vanilla iced latte with extra sugar for every meal if she could), pizza, good food, her friendships, sleeping in, the art of swordsmanship, comfortable oversized clothes, honesty, praise she feels like she's earned, being challenged

Dislikes: Hojo (obviously), PR obligations, high heels, the labs in Shinra Tower, being underestimated, military rations, being lied to, feeling helpless, being handled or controlled, the idea that her body might not belong to her anymore

Other posts & snippets about Azaela:

Where Azaela's name comes from

Her relationship with Sephiroth

What she was like as a child

How Hojo feels about her

What her Pokémon team would be

Additional Notes:

This information is current to the latest posted chapter of the fic to avoid spoilers

Details and relationships will evolve as the story progresses

This format was heavily borrowed from and used with the explicit permission of @bardic-tales 🖤

@sapphirothcrescent @bardic-tales @kitcatling @mookimooks