Okay, looks like the seat itself is twisted, and that's why it's not going back in right. Probably related to the thin aluminum that the cushion cage thingy was made of that snapped and is no longer structurally sound. I'm having a really, really hard time trying to find a whole replacement seat.
@ThatDamnCat I just didn't anticipate this level of frustration; this is my only car I need it to drive back and forth to work :(
can't really afford to wait on things