Snowball Effect

by Tiffany Park

Once upon a time in his youth, Angeal posed as the centerfold for an obscure porn magazine. When he made SOLDIER First Class, Shinra decided to erase its history for PR reasons. A few years later, Reno and Rude find an old copy in a used bookstore and purchase it so it can be safely destroyed. This results in many more complications than if they'd just left it to molder there.

17. The Midgar Mirror 2: Breaking News!

Chapter 17: The Midgar Mirror 2: Breaking News!

The next afternoon, The Midgar Mirror broke its top story of the year online and in print in a special edition with the following cover page headlines:

ANGEAL GOES FULL FRONTAL!

* Sephiroth Livid!

* Childhood Pal Genesis Devastated, Claims "I Never Knew!"

* Delighted Fans Call It "The Gift of the Goddess."

* Experts Ask: "What Else Could Angeal Be Hiding?"

* A Midgar Mirror Exclusive! Read All the Shocking Details Right Here!

The centerfold was plastered across the front page, edited to strategically place the smallest possible oval blur needed to cover Angeal Hewley's assets and make the photograph decent enough for public display. Barely.

Inset in the upper right corner was a picture of Sephiroth in his trademark black uniform, his mouth open and gloved hands raised, the background conveniently out of focus so the image could not be set in context.

Below that, overlapping Angeal's bare legs, the tabloid had placed an official Shinra group photo of Sephiroth, Angeal Hewley, and Genesis Rhapsodos, all three in full uniform with their iconic swords, posed to look like perfect SOLDIERs: serious, dignified, and powerful young men.

That edition of The Midgar Mirror sold like hotcakes the instant it went public.