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.
@catterfly I have no idea, how can I find that out
a ton of my frustration seems to be stemming from me not knowing the right terms to search for i think