#｢ headcanon ｣ 𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘍𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈𝘚𝘠 𝘝𝘐𝘐

[vctlan]

SOLDIERs doing horrific things with their strength, how for all they fight and train to deal with the monsters of the world, they stand as an apex predator of their own species. fast, unnatural so, there's no outrunning them unless they let you. strength whose only purpose is to break you; a girp tight enough to break bones and tear them out your sockets; to cave in your chest with a single punch; hands that tear out your throat. it takes subconscious awareness to temper themselves, to lay down their hands, to be tender and palatable —but the shadow of their truth follows after them: they fight, and they love it.

#tfw SOLDIERs training is centered about being able to take monsters (themselves) out / enforcers of their own captivity #anyway. you can draw a correlation between me being tired and the blood lust rising. #( ffvii : meta ) #｢ headcanon ｣ 𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘍𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈𝘚𝘠 𝘝𝘐𝘐 #「 vctlan — 𝘎𝘌𝘕𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘓 」

[vctlan]

𝘍𝘍𝘝𝘐𝘐 𝘏𝘌𝘈𝘋𝘊𝘈𝘕𝘖𝘕 — SOLDIER program: enlistment mutals may reblog/adapt if applicable

PART I : PROPAGANDA EFFORTS

Shin-Ra's marketing efforts are a relentless success, a snowball effect that has since hit its peak, an avalanche that has overtaken and demonized all other possible militias. If you want to be an upstanding member of society, you join the Shin-Ra Security Division and are guaranteed respect and ample employee benefits (should you earn them).

But what about those that want to be more than yet another enforcer of petty laws and population control? What about those with greater ambitions, and a drive to prove themselves better than others? For that, you have the SOLDIER program, and Shin-Ra has spared no expenses at making sure that those susceptible to this message have heard it.

The desired demographic for voluntary SOLDIER sign-ups is 13-21, as the younger the subject in question is, the more likely are they to adapt favorably to the mako enhancements, still in their developmental phase.

And this bleeds into marketing: SOLDIER is primarily promoted through four different means, these being the news, sports sponsorships, school presence and media, set to target and groom the different stages of their preferred demographic.

NEWS: war glorification, consistent praise for SOLDIER Firsts, glamorization of Shin-Ra's conquests and scientific advancements.

SPORTS SPONSORSHIPS: SOLDIER branded sports equipment, potion themed energy drinks, team financing, big-game advertisement, SOLDIER-program training regimens .

SCHOOL PRESENCE: enlistment drives, Shin-Ra company presentations, school fairs and investments.

MEDIA: children's animation, television programming, movie financing, SOLDIER cameos in popular media.

The program is sold as an ideal way to achieve individuality and freedom, children allowed to sign up without parental intervention, and upon registration all underage SOLDIERs become children of the state, forfeiting their rights to bodily autonomy and leaving their families with no legal resources to turn to should they be against it.

There are recruitment locations on nearly every continent, with the main processing plants being in: Rocket Town, Costa Del Sol, Icicle Village, Junon and Midgar. By visiting any one of these locations, you are able to sign your life away - if you don't already happen to do it on impulse during a school fair presentation wherein active SOLDIER members sell you on how cool it is to have genuine enhanced capabilities and senses.

The process is entirely predatory, and it is only through Shin-Ra's control of the media that they are able to turn the horrifying implications of this into a feel-good story, mostly focusing on the social successes from the program, be it literal children being able to support their family financially due to Shin-Ra stipends, teens at risk turning their lives around due to the 'strict discipline' of the program, marketing efforts done to humanize the SOLDIERs in the program in an easily digestible way (they're quirky just like you!) or the average story of saving innocent civilians.

PART II : ENLISTMENT ORIGINS

A - voluntary sign-ups B - promotion from the security division C - turk scouting efforts, coercing people with notable skills, an example being promising the resolution of criminal charges in exchange for joining the program D - scouting done through the science department's access to all medical records stored in shin-ra licensed medical establishments

Points A and D are limited by a max age of 21, these SOLDIERs reserved by the science department for all future developments regarding the continued evolution of the program, and they are most likely to receive training in a controlled environment than to be sent out in cases that aren't an emergency - essentially, unless they prove themselves exemplar fighters, they are to be considered more lab rats than fighters.

However, points B and C are exempt from this limitation, and are expected be on the front lines no matter what, their pre-established skills having them be those most often sent out on hazardous missions. They are often those with the slowest mako adaptability rates due to most often being full adults by the time of their acceptance into the program, however, they do have a tendency to be promoted to Second Class faster, where in a majority will remain, with few exemplar individuals being promoted to First Class - and in turn being used for further propaganda efforts, because if they can do it, so can you.

As that's what the SOLDIER program propaganda is wrapped around in: meritocracy, where in only the best of the best make it into the program... but in truth a major part of it is purely arbitrary, dependent on any SOLDIER hopeful's adaptability to the mako process - you may be a great fighter, and still succumb to mako poisoning during the initial trials, just as you may faint at the sight of blood and still be a perfect subject.

Still, when it comes to branch changes from the Security Division to SOLDIER, when one such change does happen successfully, Shin-Ra is sure to sell the dream, taking whatever merits it can give to the SOLDIER in question and lavishing them with interviews and mentions in the internal company news cycle.

The knowledge questionnaires are in fact completely optional, but in order to select out better candidates Shin-Ra makes them seem mandatory — those willing to endure the study necessary are favored for their unquestioning loyalty and ability to follow orders only implied.

PART III : EXTRA NOTES

Due to the young age from which SOLDIERs can apply to the program, around 40% of new SOLIDER candidates have never entered battle, seen active combat or received proper training, and this brings to light the preferred use of swords and other bladed weapons per standard issue - as long as they can be taught to hit targets more or less reliably, their new gained enhanced strength would cut through the rest.

However, gaining skills beyond the most basic of training is placed entirely on the shoulders of every SOLDIER, the program is directly set up to be as competitive as possible in order to find notable specimens for the Science Department.

This leads to the presence of the leveling system, meant to compare new subjects to each other, and to keep track of the personal growth of every SOLDIER.

However… the high pressure of the field can have an adverse effect on those who were already uncertain about their position, found themselves coerced into it, or simply regretting their choice, feeling overwhelmed, be it by the violent nature of the job or the extent to which they feel their body mutating.

These SOLIDERs are most likely to avoid taking on extra missions, and are only seen when directly called to action - and for the most part, there are no repercussions for it... until there are. After a certain threshold of negatively received mission reports, there is a chance that the SOLDIER in question might disappear, often labeled either MIA or plainly KIA.

Most often than not, if they are repurposed by the Science Department, but there is a certain quota needed to fill of "successful" retirements in order to sell the image of the program being anything anywhere near humane. Those that are lucky enough to be allowed to retire from SOLDIER can expect a life of 24/7 surveillance without ANY of the resources granted by the Science Department. If they happen to develop signs of genetic instability and sudden onset mako-poisoning they are expected to rot and die - at which point the Turks will be expected to collect their corpses for the Science Department as their bodies are considered part of a highly classified science experiment.

#｢ headcanon ｣ 𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘍𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈𝘚𝘠 𝘝𝘐𝘐 #im sleepy and this feels rambly BUT I WANTED TO GET IT OUT #did kary bully me into writing it. MAYBE. said i wouldn't write it. SO I DID >:((( #ok now i sleep zzzz - i might rework this later one day and if i do ill just reblog this again #「 vctlan — 𝘎𝘌𝘕𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘓 」

[vctlan]

thoughts/hcs to bring back & elaborate on: potions & consumable items. there are SOLDIER grade & there are standard issue consumables. the average potion you'll find out there is standard issue, and for most people it'll be the only type of potion they're aware of. you drink it, give it a few minutes, and boom your body's healing factor is accelerated - however the quality of it depends on manufacturing. there have been potions long before shirna came to be, but their potions literally hit different - they are infused with negligible levels of mako which serve as a spark to doubly accelerate healing... however, in some cases this has been known to create addiction and other cases yet, lead to accusations of doping and trying to enhance one's abilities in sporting events. SOLDIER grade are extremely concentrated versions of potions, with a heightened concentration of mako which would be debilitating to anyone not already enhanced. instead of being a drink, these are compact auto-injectable devices akin to epipens, and the healing is immediate due to the direct infusion into their bloodstream. chances of addiction are still present, but it is not as dangerous as growing resistant to potions due to over use, leading to a progressive increase in the potion type: standard, high, x. this isn't to say that SOLDIERs can't drink standard issue potions, but theyymore or less end up working as a slight pick me up, not unlike an energy drink.

#｢ headcanon ｣ 𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘍𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈𝘚𝘠 𝘝𝘐𝘐 #trtrying to reread this after posting it like girlie what are you trying to say 💕 but u get what I'm trynna say jdbdjd #「 vctlan — 𝘎𝘌𝘕𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘓 」

[vctlan]

shin-ra has a media division and it definitely has a brooklyn 99 adjacent tv-show centered around fictional SOLDIER members and their quirky escapades, with the occasional 'real life' SOLDIERs making an appearance / playing a cameo part. it helped in the recruitment proceedures by a noticeable margin.

#｢ headcanon ｣ 𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘍𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈𝘚𝘠 𝘝𝘐𝘐 #and they may or might not have a character that's so obviously based on zack fair #that they try and use to bury any and all mentions of ACTUAL zack fair under #anyway i say this and i love b99 even if it is copaganda at its core #「 vctlan — 𝘎𝘌𝘕𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘓 」

[vctlan]

𝘍𝘍𝘝𝘐𝘐 𝘏𝘌𝘈𝘋𝘊𝘈𝘕𝘖𝘕 - “MAKO EYE” VARIATIONS mutals may reblog if applicable

PART I : COMMON ATTRIBUTES

No matter the coloring, mako-eyes are easy to notice if you know what to look for. All those that undergo Shinra's mako temperament procedures are irreparably altered on a genetic level, and show common signs of it -- unless their mako levels are dangerously low (signifying withdrawals), all SOLDIERs will display the following attributes:

- Heightened sensitivity. - Eyesight improvements.  ( Astigmatism / Myopia / Color Vision Deficiency / Blindness are known to disappear. )* - Ambient glow. ( Dependent on subject class and level. ) - Enhanced night vision and light reflection. ( Mako produces an effect similar to the tapetum lucidum seen in animals.)

[ * Refer to Professor Hojo's notes on SOLDIER degeneration. ]

PART II: COLORING

SOLDIER propaganda makes use of present beauty standards, selling the idea that all possible candidates are able to achieve the desired "sky-blue" mako eye trademark, but even Sephiroth did not display this eye-color, instead sporting a green shade to his iris. This is still considered a desirable outcome, be it from the natural rarity of the color in normal eyes or the fact that it is what Sephiroth had.

Chances are, if the subject had light colored eyes to start with, they will indeed 'inherit' one of the standard SOLDIER eye colors --  meaning, those that appear on the most marketable SOLDIER First classes.

Above pictured are the different eye variations that Shinra looks out for in the interest of SOLDIER propaganda, with SOLDIERs of this eye-color being given preferential treatment in marketing deals as a bonus when it is usually reserved for 1st Class.

[ See: SOLDIER presence in school fairs. ]

The full scope of SOLDIER eyes is, however, vast.

The blue-green spectrum is well known, but there are other less known variations, mostly stemming from those who have darker or rarer eye-colors. Most notably, the yellow-red spectrum, the silver eyes, blue-purple and the purple-red spectrums.

[ Not pictured: blue-purple spectrum. ]

Out of the variations presented, the least desirable is the silver eyes, as they are prone to extreme light-sensitivity -- oftentimes this is a temporary eye color until the mako levels of the subject are stabilized as to create the necessary mako-reflective layer that prevents SOLDIERs from being visually impaired by their own natural light emission. On the other hand, a sudden development of silver eyes indicates a dangerous dip in mako levels, and demands immediate care under the Science Department.

Red eyes are considered less desirable as well, however, this is an entirely cosmetic assessment, as they are often assumed to mean "evil" and it clashes with Shinra's preferred image. If a SOLDIER sporting them gains notoriety, they are either to maintain their helm on at all times or to undergo cosmetic procedures where either their eye melanin is destroyed or their mako levels are increased to achieve a shade closer to gold/purple.

PART III: IRIS MAKO DISTRIBUTION

Depending on the subjects' adaptability/resistance to mako, what looks like central heterochromia may come to present itself in cases where it was absent previously -- however, this is merely the presence of mako making itself seen in different ways. Below it, we can see it pictured with brown-gold and teal-blue archetypes.

[ Note: If the SOLDIER candidate displays complete heterochromia, their eyes will not react any differently to the SOLDIER process, as this is merely an aesthetic quirk. They may even begin to display central heterochromia in both eyes if they meet the resistance margins necessary. ]

On the left, we can see an eye with full mako exposure, with 100% coverage of the iris. This is often seen in higher levels of SOLDIER operatives, notably First Classes, however anyone who is receptive enough to mako may come to develop this exposure as early as their promotion to Third Class, however nowhere near as vibrant.

The next three, we see different sets of 50% mako coverage, varying only where the mako pools in the iris. Not all variations are shown, but at least a 50% coverage is necessary in order to be authorized to proceed to further enhancements as part of the progression in Second Class levels -- any less shows resistance to the mako procedures, and demands special attention by the Science Department.

The last example on the right is seen only on Third Class operatives, before they undergo the full procedures upon promotion to Second Class. Mako has only started eating away at the melanin present in the iris, and the light reflection is equally scattered, more easily missed. Third Classes are a hazard for un-enhanced personnel to deal with partly due to some subjects having a worsening sight until they acclimate.

Through this chart and explanation, it is hopefully clear that mako presence increases along with a SOLDIER's class. Ideally, by their promotion to First, the subject has gotten fully acclimated to the mako present within their system, and thus show 100% coverage. However, depending on how long they were Second Class, the damage to their original eye colors and degradation of melanin may extend to the point of still showing signs of mild central heterochromia. *

[ Note: Sign of SOLDIERs more prone to degradation. Refer to Prof. Hojo's files. ]

#｢ headcanon ｣ 𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘍𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈𝘚𝘠 𝘝𝘐𝘐 #slaps this on the dash. only took me (checks watch) five years to write these hc down proper -- #「 vctlan — 𝘎𝘌𝘕𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘓 」

[vctlan]

SPECIAL OPERATIONS LIBERATION DIRECTIVE and INTELLIGENCE ELITE RESPONDERS

a.k.a. SOLDIER program. past me really had everything figured out damn...

#literal genius: thats me. yall welcome. #｢ headcanon ｣ 𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘍𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈𝘚𝘠 𝘝𝘐𝘐 #「 vctlan — 𝘎𝘌𝘕𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘓 」

[vctlan]

all SOLDIERs have a DMW chip installed, as it is what they use to gauge emotional stability in the program, detect mako levels and signs of degradation, as well as being a sure fire way to know whether they're truly dead or not even at a distance. it does not track your location or can it read your memories, but both accusations are used as a scare tactic to freak out new recruits.

#｢ headcanon ｣ 𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘍𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈𝘚𝘠 𝘝𝘐𝘐 #wake up. try to go back to sleep. can't. dmw on the mind. Guess I'll wake up and write!!!!

[vctlan]

but on that note: all internal shinra communication is entirely encrypted for shinra's own purposes and protection - it's literally impossible to leak information or messages unless you have direct access to one of the devices in question. kunsel only sends the things he does because he's mostly convinced it's safe.

#｢ headcanon ｣ 𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘍𝘈𝘕𝘛𝘈𝘚𝘠 𝘝𝘐𝘐 #a proper long form hc is in the works tho #「 vctlan — 𝘎𝘌𝘕𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘓 」