Final Nightmare VII

"This week we showcase the Final Fantasy House and the manipulative tactics used to hurt people. Please understand that abuse is not OK and that if you need help you can visit www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233. Stay safe out there citizens of Bummersville and know we care. Also black lives still matter and that wont ever not be the case."

Presented by: Cristina
Category: Cult

In the early days of the internet, fandom and roleplaying alright exist. Enter Syd, a college student who found himself caught with a group of people who believed, or at least claimed to, they were reincarnations of characters from the video game, Final Fantasy 7. He first met them on a chat room, where one of them claimed to be Hojo. Hojo believed the Syd was a character named Zack from the game.

Their chatting continued until he eventually went to meet them. Aside from Hojo, there was also a Jenova and an Aerys. While he realized it wasn't roleplaying and they lived this belief, he ultimately ended up living there. Hojo and Jenova would use Syd to pay for all their expenses, to the point that Syd had to "steal" food from work that was set to be thrown out to survive. He was also pressured to sleep with Aerys, because their characters had been an item in game. He was watched at all times and might find himself locked out if left for anything other than work.

The final straw came when his shoes were stolen. He finally made contact with friends and family. He escaped and runs a website to warn people about the group, which may still be active.

Takeaway: Only worry about kids being cringey when someone is being hurt.

Trivia

 * Patreon Skit: Dance lessons
 * Jen, one of the housemates, would (possibly) Kinning Isn't Easy