#Hojo wasn't lying...

[rottenpumpkin13]

Reverse the scenario. Sephiroth, the Soldier that is one of the strongest and most highly decorated in shinra, is degrading. He hides it from everyone. He is supposed to be strong. He isn’t supposed to show any weakness. How could a training accident lead to him slowly wasting away? He was better than this. He was built better than any of them!

How does Sephiroth handle being the only one degrading. How do Angeal and Genesis and even Zack handle finding out the truth that their silver general is sick and possibly dying.

The fic I'll never write , titled "Metamorphosis"

• Just as someone might be consumed by guilt after committing a grievous act, Genesis was quite the opposite. Initially, he refused to admit his wrongs for weeks—until relentless overthinking led him to review his actions, pushing the guilt deeper until he finally acquiesced to the possibility that he might have been wrong.

• But this wasn't the case in the training room that day. The guilt that overwhelmed Genesis as he saw Sephiroth lying there, unresponsive, with the red rapier piercing his shoulder was all-consuming. An immediate, "Oh goddess, what have I done" encased him as Angeal screamed at him to stop the simulation, watching the blood pool beneath Sephiroth.

• Angeal knew no man was unbreakable, a belief solidified by his father's death. And yet he often suspected Sephiroth was an exception; the man possessed an indescribable resilience, persisting through anything, even on the brink of death. But no one was invincible, not saints, not heroes, and certainly not Sephiroth.

• SOLDIERs gawked and stared, some even crying in concern, wanting to know what was happening as Genesis and Angeal sprinted down the hallway with him, en route to Hojo's lab—a place they would rather peel their skin off than send Sephiroth. But what choice did they have? For the first time, the red on Genesis' coat was not from the leather but from fresh blood as he carried Sephiroth, rushing into the lab.

• Naturally Hojo and his team were already waiting. Of course. Hojo was always watching, always aware of what was happening with his favorite specimen. They pried Sephiroth off Genesis—pale and unresponsive—and Angeal had to pry Genesis kicking and screaming from the doors that closed behind them.

• The last they saw of Sephiroth, his silver hair was tainted with blood, and his shoulder, bare after they ripped off the coat and pauldrons, was blackening around the mangled skin. The last thing Sephiroth remembered was Genesis charging at him full force as he miscalculated the blow. The first thing he saw upon waking was Hojo grinning down at him—an alarming contrast.

• Curiously, Hojo sent Sephiroth back to his quarters after a night of observation. The professor was giddy, excited, and Sephiroth suspected it was due to the opportunity to study how his body reacted to the new injury. Typical.

• The injury itself was severe—his shoulder was badly damaged and healing slowly. The pain left him biting back groans as he lay in bed, sweating as the pain gripped his flesh, demanding his attention with not a single distraction to mollify the suffering. It was good that Angeal had a key, or else he wouldn't have been able to let them in otherwise.

• They tried to stay and help that night, but Sephiroth was in too much pain to speak and tell them what he needed, and eventually they were asked to leave. They expected Sephiroth to rest for the next week until it healed, but he was back to work the next day, with a visible patch of bandages beneath his coat and his demeanor as stoic and unbothered as ever—or at least that’s what Sephiroth wanted them to think. In truth, he was in so much pain he could barely perform his tasks without stopping to catch his breath and addressing how his body refused to cooperate.

• He had been excused from missions until it healed, which was not a good thing for him, because if he were able-bodied, an assignment would've been the perfect distraction from the pain. His body was different, and he didn't like it. He didn't like it when things happened to his body, and even less when they were out of his control. Professor Hojo had asked to meet with him soon, and for the first time, Sephiroth welcomed the possibility that the man would've been able to do something to help.

• Angeal and Genesis tried to get close to him, and even Angeal's student once tried to ask how Sephiroth was and told him that everyone was concerned for him, but Sephiroth brushed Zack off. The same went for Genesis and Angeal. It wasn’t that he was mad at Genesis; he just had no energy to deal with his friends’ attempts to help on top of the injury.

• He worried about why it wasn't healing. He had never experienced an injury this severe, and even the invasive surgeries Hojo once performed on him were less excruciating . He didn't even know why they were concerned. Soon he would be fine; he just needed to get through this.

• But to Genesis and Angeal, it wasn't just a matter of him being fine and needing to persevere. Sephiroth was changing right before their eyes, right before everyone's eyes. Despite spending less time with people these days—he didn't want to be near them—the transformation was visible.

• It was a physical change. Sephiroth's skin, once bright and luminous, was now pallid, with faint blue veins tracing his neck and chest. His eyes were lifeless, with dark circles indicating his lack of sleep. He had grown thinner, his appetite vanishing in favor of the craving for a cure for whatever it was that plagued him.

• His hair had grown slightly brittle, a subtle change only he noticed from staring at it daily. But the most concerning change was in his eyes. They were turning red. Sephiroth wasn't vain, but even he found the change unsettling. Despite all his qualms about the unnaturalness of his body, he had been healthy before. He had been whole. And he didn't realize that had kept him sane until he lost it.

• The meeting with Hojo finally came. He was sitting in the chair in his office when Hojo threw a thick folder into his lap harshly, one titled "The Jenova Project." Sephiroth didn’t understand. He asked what his mother had to do with this, and Hojo replied, "Everything."

• According to Hojo, Jenova was the catalyst for the changes ravaging Sephiroth's body. As her son, it was inevitable that he would begin to mirror her, with the metamorphosis already happening. Sephiroth was confused. Was his mother not human?

• And so he read the file Hojo provided him with. And read. And read and read until no one saw him for a week. Genesis appeared in the labs demanding to know what happened to Sephiroth, as last anyone heard, he had been going there to see Hojo. But all anyone said was that Sephiroth was busy. Busy where, they didn’t say, and Genesis had no idea Sephiroth was holed up in the archives, reading like a man possessed.

• Until a week later.

• Rumors said that Sephiroth had been cleared for missions by Hojo, but Angeal and Genesis didn’t believe it until Sephiroth strode into the SOLDIER floor briefing room one bright morning, looking satisfied despite the physical decline which had not improved.

• He greeted them cordially as they all sat down, and Angeal asked him how he was feeling.

"I'm much better now," Sephiroth replied, his smile all teeth with not an ounce of sincerity. "I know how to cure myself now."

Genesis and Angeal were skeptical.

"How?" Genesis asked.

"My mother has the cure," Sephiroth said. "I’m going to see her in Nibelheim."

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

Crossover prompt au where Damian failed to get along with the Titans and was labeled as being "too violent" and this changes the course of the timeline.

Phantom had been living full time in the Ghost Zone and planned on checking out one of the "Forbidden" areas in hopes that it would be a nice place for him to get some much needed relaxation. Ever since Kitty found out which door lead to his lair hes been bombarded with people knocking and looking for a fight. Danny hadn't yet learned that he could just...move his door so he was exploring the more out there options.

Anyway he slips into another dimension and starts exploring this desert wastland filled with monsters and crumpled buildings. It looks like the apocalypse had hit and he didn't see a single human around. Worse there was something moving so fast towards him it was just a large blue blur.

Was that...? Wow thats a lot of hair.

Danny tried to make a quick escape by opening a portal to the GZ especially when he saw a hoard of what looked like angels following after the blur and throwing weapons and lightning at it as it dodged away. The portal opened but it didn't lead to the GZ. The blur crashed into him and sent them both spiraling into the new dimension and crashing directly into some blond guy on a motorcycle.

Good news! The guy was largely unharmed.

Bad news! Danny accidentally opened a portal to the GZ during the chaos. They all fell in and they argued amongst themselves up until the blur, who turned out to be a guy with ridiculously long and pretty blue hair said "I wish I could just see the real you so I could know if you're trustworthy or not."

"So you have wished it, so it shall be!" Came a booming voice from all around them. A woman dressed like a genie then cast some kind of spell onto them turning Phantom into Fenton, and the blond guy into a blond kid.

Phantom decided to use the last of his power to open a portal to a safer location since they had no way to protect themselves from the ghosts and Blue guy agreed while the blond guy was having some sort of mental breakdown muttering, "So Hojo wasn't lying? I really am just a clone? Are all my memories really fake?!"

The other two grimaced with sympathy. That sounds rough. They worked together to move the blond and his motorcycle through the portal which snapped shut behind them.

Now they had a new problem. This city, appropriately named "Gotham" felt far from safe and they were essentially stuck there for the foreseeable future. After cursing thier luck Danny introduced himself as a Halfa, a creature that exists between life and death. The blue haired guy took this as his cue to introduce himself as "Ren" which was an obvious fake name but he called himself a nahobino which was interesting. Too bad he wouldn't elaborate.

Next it was blondies turn. His name was Cloud Strife, a lab experiment made by Shinra- a corrupt electric power company that somehow managed to take over the world. How did that even happen??? Cloud just shrugged when asked.

They all decided they needed to stick together and find a way to find for themselves. This of course meant stealing to survive...which turned out to be way harder than they thought it would be because there's some maniac in a bat costume with a birdy sidekick chasing after them and raiding all thier hideouts. If they had to get another hideout this week Danny was gonna scream!

Worse! He wants to adopt them. The guy! In a bat costume! The "we are all very damaged child soldiers" didn't persuade him, in fact they're sure it made it worse.

On the next raid the bird boy offered to talk. He wanted to make a superhero team with the four of them, in exchange they would be given food, shelter, clothing and payment and the charges placed along them would be lessened or outright dropped.

They begrudgingly agreed.

Damian really liked his team. Especially once Phantom regained his powers.

----

People kept commenting on my three way crossover so here's a four way crossover with Batman x Danny Phantom x shin megami tensei 5 x Final Fantasy 7 just because I can.

[finallyfantasy7]

So... I was reading an online discussion on a different platform about why Zack is so powerful and... basically everything they said was wrong 😬

Since I don't want to ruin anyone's fun or make anyone feel bad I decided to set the record straight here where the chances of them seeing it are nonexistent. So,

misconceptions about Zack Fair,

here we go:

He was (almost) able to stand up to Shinra army because he got more powerful from Hojo's experiments under Shinra manor after he snd Cloud were captured

Hojo's reunion experiment had absolutely no effect on Zack. This is revealed in one of the research documents which Zack can find lying around after breaking out of the mako tank.

Failed Case #1: SOLDIER 1st Class Summary: Desired effect did not occur. Strong tolerance to Jenova cells due to SOLDIER conditioning assessed as cause.

It is also confirmed by Hollander in Gongaga

Hollander: His cells are completely useless!

(To Zack)

Hollander: You are a former member of SOLDIER. Your cellular structure has already mutated.

It makes no sense Zack is strong enough to become a SOLDIER 1st Class when he's not one of the three to receive Jenova's cells as a fetus

It is true not many people are physically and mentally strong enough to go through the procedure to become SOLDIER and come out alive and undamaged. Even fewer make it from 3rd to 2nd Class, and most never make it to 1st Class. However, Angeal, Sephiroth, and Gensis were not the only 1st Class SOLDIERs before Zack become one. They were just the only ones important for his story. So other people like Zack became 1st too.

Zack is not particularly strong, he was only able to fight Sephiroth because, while Sephiroth was certainly strong while Zack was alive, it wasn't until after Sephiroth died that he started taking over the Jenova cells and he became the ridiculous monster we all know and love

Sephiroth was already the strongest being on the whole planet before the beginning of Crisis Core. It was just play-fighting, but he easily fended off both Angeal and Genesis with one hand in the Virtual Reality room scene, both of whom were 1st Class and especially strong due to getting Jenova cells as fetuses as opposet to as teenagers like other SOLDIER.

Also, in an interview, now archived, Nomura said:

Tetsuya Nomura (Sept, 2007): Zack was chosen as the main character as a representative of a "Before Crisis" era SOLDIER. Sephiroth is already the strongest in the world so there's no room for growth, and we couldn't possibly see ourselves making a "game over" type situation where Sephiroth loses

One of the first parts in Crisis Core was Zack saying “you’re not the only hero”. Sephiroth didn’t single handedly win the Wutai war, he just all the credit for it.

This is mostly correct, but as we saw from Nomura's interview this isn’t just Shinra's fake Wutai propaganda Sephiroth was the most powerful SOLDIER, and actually (as far as I could tell without knowing Japanese), in Japanese version Zack says: "I want to be a hero, too," not "You're not the only hero," so it probably had nothing to do with Zack saying Sephiroth is equal in power to others.

Angeal literally sees that Zack is hitting a slump and having issue growing in strength and puts him to train under Sephiroth to get past that for a while.

I have no idea where this came from. Zack never hit a slump, never had issues growing in strength, and Angeal never put him to train under Sephiroth. From the moment Zack ran away from his hometown at 13 to when he became 1st Class, something most never achieve, less than 4 years had passed. What slump?

Zack met Sephiroth after Angeal disappeared, and we only know about the training from two short D.M.W. scenes. It is not even clear of those were true training sessions, just Sephiroth's guidance during missions, or some third option.

Zack is incredibly talented, which is why Angeal trains him personally, he saw the promise in him, it is not normal for SOLDIER members to receive such a huge deal of attention from 1sts.

From other 1sts? No. From Angeal? Yes.

Angeal mentored other 2nd Class SOLDIERs before Zack. That's just Angeal's personality. You can find this out by talking to SOLDIER 2nd Class at the beginning of Chapter 4 in Crisis Core.

(However, it does seem Zack is the only one Angeal recommended for the 1st, since this guy is still 2nd Class)

SOLDIER 2nd Class: Hm... There was something my mentor used to tell me when I was a rookie. He used to say, "Embrace your dreams."

SOLDIER 3rd Class Lv. 7: "Embrace your dreams"?

SOLDIER 2nd Class: My mentor used to help me with my missions just like Zack helped you with yours.

I feel Zack was promoted to 1st class because of lack of 1st class solders. Kind of like to boost the morale

He’s actually not as powerful as any of the other 1st class and is only promoted to that level in their absence. 

These two came from two different people, but say basically the same thing so I'll address them together.

Even if Shinra or Lazard wanted a new 1st to boost the morale, they could have chosen any other 2nd Class SOLDIER, yet they only chose Zack, for a reason.

And choosing Zack was tricky due to his relationship to Angeal. Soon after they put him out of commission for a while and assigned Turks to guard him. If they needed a random 2nd to promote, Zack was the worst choice for the company unless he was promoted purely for his skills and power.

Sephiroth doesn’t care about killing Zach and mainly wants him out of the way while the other two are well into degradation when Zach faced them in combat.

Sephiroth seemed to very much care about killing the villagers and wants to kill all humans for destroying Cetra, who he thinks Jenova is.

There is no evidence Sephiroth went easy on Zack, but there is no evidence he didn't, either. Regardless, Sephiroth is canonically the most powerful so it's not a very important question anyway. He would have defeated Zack, and everyone else in a 1-on-1 battle, either way. Still, Zack held up against Sephiroth for quite a while and Sephiroth certainly wanted to get back to mommy as soon as possible.

But the most incorrect statement here is that Angeal and Genesis were weakened by degradation when Zack fought them. According to the Crisis Core Complete Guide, degrading increases sufferer's combat potential.

Zack likely is an average first class (not counting the trio) and shows it in his skill and strength. No implication from anyone (Turks or SOLDIER) that he is anything exceptional.

Chapter 4, Hojo's combat tests:

Hojo: Hm, impressive... I think you have what it takes to be a study sample.

Zack: Whatever that is, I don't think I want it.

Hojo: You should be proud of yourself. It's only once every couple of years that we get someone like you.

Then Hojo gives him an even more advanced combat test

Hojo: Hehehehe. Hahahahaaaaa! You are a worthy study sample, indeed! You need not worry. Your remains shall become a valuable contribution to science. Now, my precious program, show him why I am great! All shall bow down powerless in your presence...

(Zack defeats the test)

Hojo: This... This is impossible... Wait... I have a new hypothesis... ...Yes. I am a genius, after all.

Zack: Ahem... I believe you were saying something about my remains?

...

Researcher 1: I didn't think anyone could beat that program... Are you really human? Aren't you actually a monster?

Researcher 2: I don't believe this... How could a human being beat THAT thing? Not even a SOLDIER operative should be able to-- Could it be a bug in the emulator!?

____________________

Ok, there's actually more inaccuracies, but I think I got the main ones and I'm really tired from typing. In short,

Zack's abilities don't come from any special procedures later in the game

We don't know how Zack compares to other 1st Class SOLDIER operatives since we never saw him compared with any other than the special trio

Zack was special. It was most likely a combination of natural capabilities (to withstand the procedure, to have strong willpower, to be hyperactive...), his great drive to become a hero (he worked out very hard, and was obsessed with becoming a hero), and Angeal's guidance. I mean, someone among the regular SOLDIER 1st Class members is always going to be the best, why not Zack?

But while I understand looking for consistency in the story, I think this misses the most important thing: Zack was extremely special not because of his combat capabilities but because of his kindness, his empathy, his drive to do good, his ability to make friends and dissuade enemies, his willingness to sacrifice his own life.

[tenderdevils]

An inconspicuous letter found under a floorboard at Shinra Mansion:

Dearest Vincent,

To say that this is an apology would be an insult. There are no words I can offer to justify what has been done to you, nor will I try to find them. I do not seek forgiveness, and I accept the consequences of my actions, albeit with a heavy heart. But as I sit here in the dark watching you breathe, I listen to my watch tick away the hours and am overcome once more with an all consuming desire to explain myself, something that I repeatedly failed while you were present, even though you gave me countless opportunities to do so. My ever patient sentinel.

How cruel that the trance was to be broken so late. The trance, of course, being my everlasting hunger for knowledge, a once innocent endeavour fuelled by your father, turned sickly and twisted overtime. I’m not sure where it started, Vincent. Had I noticed, I would have pulled away like a hand over a flame, but instead I stayed my path. Now, I watch my flesh burn and try not to complain from the pain, knowing all too well that I lit the fire myself.

Once, I would find myself blaming Hojo. That his twisted ways had rubbed off on me. That he’d coerced me or convinced me or dangled the carrot in front of me long enough to lead me down a path of his own choosing. Upon reflection, though, I realise it was me all along. I mean, of course it was. It was me who chose to study Jenova alongside one of science’s most controversial researchers. Me who allowed her baby to be experimented on knowing full well that it was the wrong thing to do. I could have just been honest with you. I should have just told you how scared I was. But I was too proud. I had come so far, and I wasn't about to undo all of my progress. A pitiful, childish concept in hindsight.

I never wanted a child, but it just happened. In that time I was searching for a distraction, and the scientific potential of having a subject so close at hand during the experimentation process was an opportunity I couldn’t ignore, a fact I am deeply ashamed of today. I am ashamed of lying to you about your father; ashamed that I was too cowardice to even explain myself to you after the fact, choosing to instead fall into Hojo’s arms and stupidly get myself pregnant in the process. I should have known better. I did know better. But nonetheless, again, I never wanted a child, but despite this I think I could have loved him with all of my heart like a real mother, given the chance. As my belly grew, so did my regret, along with the love for this baby I never really wanted. And now, I won’t ever get the chance to see him, to hold him, to hear his voice. Now, he is company property.

I was such a fool, Vincent. I was such a damn fool. And I am so frightened of the fact that now there is nothing I can do to set this right. I’d do anything, bit it’s no use. Shinra has me in its grip. I cannot leave Nibelheim. I can’t even leave the mansion. I am powerless. How ironic, after everything, that I should lose it all in the end. It’s what I deserve, I suppose - a bitter pill to swallow, but I will do so willingly, now that I can see clearer.

I hope you know that it was you that changed everything, Vincent. It was you who finally opened my eyes, with your saintly patience and your persistence. You who finally broke the trance and pulled me from that devastating temptation for power. I admit, I allowed it to consume me, to obliterate me. I was so blinded to the consequences that would undoubtedly catch up to me that I marched ahead with the vigour of a thousand soldiers. But when I saw you bleeding on that floor, those beautiful eyes losing their light, everything became suddenly clear to me. You broke the trance. If I can say sorry for one thing, it’s that it took you getting hurt for me to finally wake up. Despite everything, I don’t think I can ever forgive myself for that.

I love you so damn much, but I loved the science more. I didn't realise just what I was losing until it was all too late. All I had known for so many years was science. All I had told myself I needed was science, which is what drew me to Hojo in the first place. We were kindred spirits, him and I, at least until his morals darkened to a shade so black I could no longer follow. I tried for a little while doing things I don’t wish to recount, but it didn’t take long for me to cower from such methods.

Then you came along, and for a small moment I let myself wonder if there could be something more, something other than science. I grew restless, aware that suddenly something was missing. I know you felt it too. The pull you have on me is stronger than the pull science has on me. You’re magnetic, Vincent, and despite how hard I tried to pull away from your orbit, I just couldn’t shake the thought of you. Even now my tears fall as I watch you in the preservation tank, your face so serene it’s almost like I haven’t been battling with the fates for three years to keep you alive. Hojo says the deterioration will set in any day now, but I won’t let that happen. No. You will walk this planet again, Vincent. I will not let your story end here.

This isn’t an apology, because I will not say sorry for trying to save you. I cannot take back all of the terrible things I’ve done, but I can try to do this one thing before I go. The world is better off with you in it, and I will do everything in my power to keep you from dissolving into the Lifestream. I couldn't save your father. I couldn't save my son, but by Gaia, I can save the man I love, or die trying.

I love you, Vincent. I should have told you before you were hurt. I should have told you the moment I knew, but I didn’t, and that’s something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my days. But if you ever happen upon this letter, just know that none of this was your fault. You did everything you could. This was a losing battle from the beginning, and I wish I could have spared your involvement in it.

I love you, Vincent.

I hope the Lifestream brings us together again someday.

Eternally yours, Lu.

[altocat]

Do you think Lucrecia loved Sephiroth? Or would have loved him?

Lucrecia is an extremely ill, extremely complicated person.

Based on the OG, and what DoC was (very poorly) trying to convey, she severely regretted what she did to her son, and never expected to have had him taken from her. The impression I get in the OG is that she might have been coerced into the project, though Dirge contradicts this. I think she ultimately was somewhat pressured into it by Hojo, but still made the conscious decision to go through with it, ignoring the consequences. Perhaps she thought she would still be able to parent Sephiroth, just in stricter, more controlled settings. She was distraught in losing him, and it's implied that it was the final straw in pushing her into her metaphorical suicide. I just think Dirge didn't do a good job in showcasing her regret.

So yes, I think she loved him. Or would have loved him. That definitely doesn't make what she did okay, and Sephiroth would have every right to disown her for it. But I do truly think she hadn't anticipated him being taken from her, likely justifying everything in her head --being the mother of an extraordinary child, guiding him along to fulfill his role as an ancient, etc. Lucrecia probably wasn't fit to be a mother though, given her very glaringly obvious mental health issues. Had she been in Sephiroth's life, they probably would have had a very messy relationship. Though still preferable to the alternative of lying to Sephiroth about his mother's name and identity.

It's very strange. Sephiroth and Lucrecia are a lot alike when I really think about it. They both suffer from the extreme inability to cope under personal crisis, often acting impulsively and making things worse. But whereas Lucrecia reacts in guilt and fear and hysteria, Sephiroth reacts in rage and blocking everything else out. Sephiroth is definitely his mother's son, though not the mother he thinks. They're both really complex, really unwell individuals in desperate need of therapy.

[sereia1313]

Blurred Lines [Chapter 6]

For @crescent-dreams' SessKag Festival 2024!

Summary: After the parent of one of her students asks her out on a date, Kagome resorts to desperate measures to deter his delusional affections. But her partner in crime is too good of an actor, and soon she can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality.

Read it on Ao3 and FFnet.

Day 6: School (sneak peek)

"You seem happier lately."

The statement hung in Kagome's mind, repeating itself like a mantra even as she left the lunchroom. She hadn't felt any different, but all the other teachers at the table had chimed in, either agreeing or wondering about the reason behind it. Her routine hadn't changed much; the only difference was that she wasn't jumping every time someone knocked at her classroom door.

It was going on three months of being Hojo-less, and even Megumi had stopped commenting on how good they looked as a couple. Kagome had never wanted to hurt her, especially when she'd talked about wanting her as her mother. Many of her students saw her in that role, but having it reinforced at home didn't help, and if it hadn't been for Sesshoumaru, there would've likely been a public confrontation.

Or a restraining order.

Kagome knew he was harmless—he'd never given her any indication that he was violent, and Megumi was well-adjusted, even when he worked late—but maintaining the boundary between her professional and private life shouldn't involve her students.

Thinking about her private life had "You seem happier lately." running through her mind again, she couldn't stop the heat rising to her cheeks. Was she less stressed because Hojo was leaving her alone? Absolutely. But she'd be lying to herself if she didn't include a certain daiyoukai in the same category.

[thecloudstan]

I'm thinking about chapter 2 from ff7 rebirth again, where Rufus meets Cloud and tells him he had read his profile. I wonder what Rufus's thoughts were in seeing the profile of a man who calls himself a SOLDIER, but isn't. Does this topic ever come back in the present in your current fanfic?

What kind of thoughts ran through Rufus's head as he had access to everything about this man how caused so many problems for his men?

This is such a great question.

When I started thinking about what a Rufus/Cloud shippy story might look like way back in 2016, this was actually one of the things at the forefront of my mind. Even without the Remake series, it's always been clear to me that Rufus likely knew much more about Cloud than Cloud did, or at least he knew it a lot sooner. Rufus is thorough and cunning enough to have availed himself of such information if it existed, and it certainly existed, since Hojo is still around when he takes over the family business. I always wanted to address this potential flashpoint between them; would Cloud want to know? Would Rufus ever even offer, and under what circumstances? It seemed like a great focal point for drama, from the perspective of wanting to Write Fun Things.

So, imagine my complete and utter surprise when the very first time Rufus and Cloud meet after the fight atop Shinra HQ, Rufus states POINT BLANK that he's read his file. I also don't think he was lying at all about finding it to be enlightening (and finding Cloud to be fascinating). Unlike his father, Rufus wants to control things by understanding them. Fear works well enough on the idiot masses, but not on people like Cloud, Sephiroth, etc.

Some slight spoilers for NTYC under the cut.

I have to be honest, after having updated the fic in January (a month and some change before the game dropped) with a scene covering this exact topic, my jaw fucking dropped when Rufus said those words. There was a lot of internal screaming. I wasn't sure how the topic would be brought up in NTYC when it was in the early planning stages, but I always had it in my notes that at some point Rufus would throw this information out there as an offer. Without spoiling anything, I'm definitely not through with exploring the file situation. The contents, Rufus' reaction to the contents, his motive in offering to reveal them, even whether or not Cloud actually wants to know the extent of what was done to him. I can't leave that unexplored when it's something I've actually wanted to know ever since I played the original game.

"You are a fascinating individual, Cloud Strife. Your file was as gripping as it was...enlightening. (sly grin) Which is why...I have a proposition for you."

I mean...it's unbelievable to me, still. I don't talk about it much because I still can't believe it actually happened. Thanks so much for asking.

[sammythelibrarian]

Just comparing and contrasting some stuff from OG and the Rebirth trailers here, don't mind me…

Sephiroth Ha, ha, ha...... I want to take you back to your real self. The one who gave me the Black Materia that day... Who would have ever thought a failed experiment would prove so useful? Hojo would die if he knew.

Cloud Hojo!? What does he have to do with me!?

Sephiroth Five years ago you were... ...constructed by Hojo, piece by piece, right after Nibelheim was burnt. A puppet made up of vibrant Jenova cells, her knowledge, and the power of Mako. An incomplete Sephiroth-clone. Not even given a number. ...That is your reality. Ha, ha, ha......

Tifa Cloud... Don't listen to him... Close your ears! Close your eyes!

Cloud What's wrong, Tifa? I'm not affected by it. ...I wasn't paying attention to him.

Tifa All that talk of Hojo constructing you is a lie. Don't we have our memories together? Being kids together, starlit nights...

Sephiroth Ha, ha, ha... Tifa... Why are you so worried and scared by those words? Hmm... Shall I show everyone here what's in your heart?

Tifa turns away from both him and Cloud.

Sephiroth Ha, ha, ha... You look like you're not feeling well.

He disappears.

Cloud ...Tifa? Is Sephiroth right?

Tifa Cloud...

Cloud Why are you so scared? Don't worry about me. I'm all right. No matter how confused I am, I'll never believe a word that Sephiroth says. It's true that sometimes I can't figure out who I am. There's a lot of things muddled up in my memories. But, Tifa...... But you said, 'Long time no see, Cloud' right? Those words will always support me. I am the one you grew up with. I'm Cloud of Nibelheim. No matter how much I lose faith in myself, that is the truth. That's why you shouldn't be so scared. No matter what anyone else says to me, it's your attitude that counts...

Tifa No, that's not true, Cloud......

Cloud What's not? Aren't I the same Cloud you grew up with?

Tifa That's not what I mean... I don't know how to say it... Cloud, I need some time... Just give me a little time...

A flash and Sephiroth appears beyond the fire.

Sephiroth Cloud... Don't blame Tifa. The ability to change one's looks, voice, and words, is the power of Jenova. Inside of you, Jenova has merged with Tifa's memories, creating you. Out of Tifa's memory...... A boy named Cloud might've just been a part of them.

(http://www.yinza.com/Fandom/Script/30.html)

___

Cloud I saw you lying there. I figured it was too late.

Tifa Wait. What are you implying? That I died? That I’m some kind of imposter?

(FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH – First Look Trailer)

___

Tifa I was wondering. What’s Cloud been doing these last five years? Where’s he been?

Aerith And you’re…asking me this?

Tifa This is gonna sound crazy, but as far as I know, Cloud was never in Nibelheim five years ago.

(FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH – Summer Game Fest 2023 Trailer)

___

Sephiroth They say she’s a monster. That she can peer inside you, into the very depths of your soul. That she can become those you hate. Those you fear. Those you love.

Sephiroth You know that I killed her (Tifa). So, who is she?

(FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH – Summer Game Fest 2023 Trailer. Tifa name drop specifically from the Japanese version)

___

Especially the jump from No matter how much I lose faith in myself(...) it's your attitude that counts... to yeah i think ur a fake scares me. In a good way.

[hisnewera]

It's been hours since they brought him in. Reno's stopped pacing and cursing the staff under his breath nearly two hours in, Elena hasn't moved from the coffee station where she's stood nervously stirring her long cold coffee, and Rude has become a permanent fixture against the wall that anyone might think him a hyper realistic statue.

The atmosphere can not seem to hold more tension than it already does, but time seems to still for the lot of them when the doctor exits the room, hands de-gloved and dripping with water.

"He's awake, if you want to see him."

His own feelings needed to be put to the side for a now. what happened was his fault, but they all knew something was going to happen. it could have been any of them, yet Rufus was sitting there waiting. He was watching the other Turks. Seeing how everything was taking it. As much as he had plenty of other things he needed to get back to, this was his number one. The one who does everything without question. He would rather risk the doctors to touch him, and not Hojo to fix him. If it was on the stop it would have taken longer a slim chance. But Rufus would rather be the one to hurt himself than let anything happen outside his care.

Even if the room felt cold, the doctor who was treating Tseng soon came out. hearing those words, he saw the others get excited. To let them go first, or he. Rufus waved it off and moved to his feet. Walking over to the door he felt as if it was going to be a quick in and out for him. The others can come in after.

But that moment he did walk into the room, and saw the other lying there. His heart felt --- like it was burning. No matter the move, he knew very well that it was going to cost him something, and this was the last thing Rufus wanted to lose. Slowly he walked over to him he stared down at the other. Seeing other's hair all over the place, the man was more of a mess than normal.

Slowly he reached over and moved some of his hair to fix it a bit. No words for the moment just making him look like he normally would before he paused and moved his hand down the other's arms, to brushing lightly. All the way to the other's hand, placing his hand over the other's before he leans down a little closer.

" I'm sorry for causing you this much trouble."

he whispers. Knowing the other was awake just enough to be able to hear him. Rufus hated everything in his world, but the man lying there. Someone who has been there for years, not him. Seeing Tseng hurt was something he needed to get used to, but for now, this wasn't something he wished he had to deal with.

Though he kept his voice low, a little more personal than normal.

" as much as I wish to joke around, how are you feeling right now? Is it still hurting?"

[umbral-stigmata-unbound]

Random Asks | Always Open

@shinrascomputer asked: He stares at Vincent, blinking slowly. This was... Never a situation he thought he'd find himself in. With red eyes and black hair, he almost felt like he was looking at a different, older version of himself. "... I... Uh... You used to be a Turk too, huh?" He asked weakly.

This wasn't the first time Valentine was seeing this Turk. Technically. he observed a great deal, in his time above and below the company, and though some of it was scattered for reasons beyond his permission to ask or demand, he kept enough clear. Weapon he was, he was expected to. He'd seen this one in the halls, he'd seen him in Hojo's labs when he was being treated. He had his wonderings and his instincts from that distance, but here and now, it seemed something in him balked almost on par with the young mans reaction.

He was adorned in a uniform almost akin to that of the rest of the Turks, though his provided a bit more leader in his jacket and pants, and a rather intimidating, regal looking refined gauntlet on his left arm was nothing like anything a Turk would or should wear. Monochrome red and red-yellow rimmed eyes observed the other, partial bangs around his face as the rest of his hair was currently in a ponytail behind him, still making clear it's great length.

Finally, his assessment of the young man before him, red eyes, familiar skin tone, and black long hair, ceased. It was far too familiar to him as well, as if he was transported into the past to look into a mirror, though he was picking apart the differences faster than the other man. He focused, then, on his words. 'Used to be'... Cute.

"One doesn't simply stop being a Turk...and that rings true for me."

He wasn't lying. He had not been seen around here for a couple of years now, but it did not change the fact that he was still by rank and position and service, technically, a Turk. Simply one far too often on loan, and now complicated, unspoken property of the man running R&D.

In that, it seemed, the two of them had even more in common than what the eyes could see.

"Lucas... Am I correct?" he finally spoke again, trying to remember all he'd heard of some of the newer Turks that had been brought in while he was away.

[rottenpumpkin13]

For pride month, how did the boys realize they were not straight?

Genesis: He realized pretty early on that it didn't make sense for him to be attracted only towards girls. Boys were equally attractive. If he could find space in his heart to love his parents, Angeal, his treasured books, and even the stray cat that wandered onto his parents' property, then surely his heart had the capacity to love all genders. Love and attraction weren't meant to be limited.

Angeal: He doesn't like labels, but always considered himself straight and never envisioned dating anyone other than women. He wasn’t opposed to the idea of being with a man, which over time left him confused. If he could date a man without issue, wouldn’t that make him bi? But he had never been attracted to a man, so it didn’t quite add up. He labeled himself as heteroflexible and moved on. Little did he know he was about to discover demisexuality and the consequences of being attracted to your best friend.

Sephiroth: He hadn't given much thought to love and sex until Genesis entered his life, urging him to define himself. "What are you?" "What are you attracted to?" "What do you like?" These questions left Sephiroth feeling overwhelmed. According to Professor Hojo, he was supposed to be attracted to women, but he had never developed a relationship with a girl long enough to find her attractive, and Genesis and Angeal weren't attractive to him either.

Years passed and both women and men threw themselves at him. He found himself in social circles where people asked his opinions on which woman he liked best, or what his first time was like. Sephiroth forced answers, pretending to find certain women attractive just to fit in. But he knew he was lying to himself. Many nights were spent awake wondering what was wrong with him, why he couldn't develop feelings for anyone, and why he had yet another thing that made him feel abnormal. It was confusing. He was human—wasn't he supposed to be attracted to people? Wasn't it biology?

"Maybe you're just aromantic," Genesis suggested one day, after Sephiroth confessed his frustrations. "Or asexual, or both, or somewhere in between."

Sephiroth blinked. "I'm what?"

Genesis sighed, pitying his friend who was so so lost, yet on the verge of a revelation. "You know how some people are attracted to all genders and some to just one?"

Sephiroth nodded. "Yes."

"Well, some don't feel attraction at all. Or they don't feel romantic attraction but feel sexual attraction, or they feel romantic attraction but don't feel sexual attraction. Or they're somewhere on that spectrum."

Sephiroth was mystified. "What spectrum?"

"May the Goddess have mercy on my soul," Genesis sighed, "welcome to the rainbow."

[ofmoonlily]

”There aren’t any pictures of me as a kid” - FF7 Tidus to FF7 Yuna @s-acrificium

It was oddly kind of the Scientist to place her in a room with another. A boy around her age. Stationed in the same lab, undergoing unusual tests Yuna couldn't fathom.

Was it...painful?

They sit idly under the humming lights, both anxiously awaiting Hojo's emergance. Yuna fiddles with her thumbs and tugs on the awkward contraptions whic pulled on her skin just to feel anything that wasn't fear.

Minutes turn to an hour, and she's speaking to the boy nestled on the opposite side of her room, lying down on a cold steel table. How they even got to the current topic was lost on her grief which swelled with every tick of the clock. Their childhoods; What they were allowed to possess as playthings in the lab, or what they created with what little materials had been scattered around the district. Shards of glass used as scissors, aged and broken crayons to color on the back of crumpled up pages detailing failed lab assessments. Among other unorthodox materials.

It wasn't long that Yuna actually found herself smiling, giggling even. Their experiences shared many similarities, which brought Yuna a sense of comfort to confide in the blond.

An agreeable nod of her head, and she rotates on her side of her table to face the young man, "Right? Do they truly think us unworthy of a single photograph that has nothing to do with the Science Department and the documents it contains? You know, the only photograph I've actually seen displaying my image was a single keycard detailing my information. I was just seven years old. It's a bit dated, don't you think?" another giggle.

"As far as what they intend to do with it, I don't know. My hope is they mistake my image with that of someone younger and release me. Wouldn't that be foolish?" Whatever this was between them? It was nice—exciting, even. She got to speak freely without the fear of Hojo screaming at her—at them—to 'keep quiet' while he prattled on conversing with himself as loud as he could, followed by his theatric swinging of arms and laughing when he's concluded something he never disclosed to his subjects.

Yuna made a friend today.

[saishuu-heiki-a]

A father's words — always in the precipice of mind and searing more harshly than physical wounds. Even without the knowledge that he himself was the result of a genetic experiment of man and monster , Sephiroth was no child of ignorance and knew he had been subjected to strange things. As horrid as his upbringing was , there was also a vile knowledge that there were other horrors lingering inside the mind of his father . . on the other side of walls he shared. When curiosity had infiltrated his mind as it did with the minds of children , his face was met with the gaunt angles of a vulture and the glint of glasses. As coolly as a man ordering a coffee at a local cafe , he had said " curiousity will rip your arm from its socket , and I won't be there to stop them. "

All it took was a single glance inside the eyes of Professor Hojo to know the monstrosity lying within mind and actualized by hands. It was not until his adulthood did Sephiroth take to wandering the science department at ShinRa , and it wasn't precisely due to curiousity which had never been satiated — for the sake of the safety of others , he needed to know what terrors were to be discovered. Hojo was smart however , nothing which would give way to the Jenova project or Sephiroth's experimentations were ever kept in the open. Even without Jenova discoveries at hand , there were plenty of other things to be found most of which hinted at sadism. Cages , chains , vials of queerly coloured substances , soiled medical restraints , bins and bins of medical waste.

Sephiroth's footsteps echoed inside eerie rooms and hallways as he continued forward. Forward and forward. Was he purposefully searching for anything to justify raising a hand to the man who had so cruelly forged him? Sephiroth could not say or would not. Authorized personnel signs were ignored , and the prodigal creation passed from one door to the next , seemingly passing through nine different doors [ meant to keep someone out or something in ] before he reached an especially unique room. While still being inhospitable , there was also a strange alluring undertone to the space.

Hues of greens and blues shimmered off the walls , and so unexpected it was it took Sephiroth several moments before he realized it was the reflection of moving water being cast upon walls. A room which was not quite a room was impressively expansive , far wider and taller than the rest of the halls he had passed through. Beyond control panels and monitoring devices , a tank filled with water immediately caught the eye. Serene and eerie in one. Even before realizing a living form was within , the silver haired man approached ; a moth drawn to a flame. The sudden appearance of face and body from within the waters did no startle nor alarm though the man's brow furrowed.

❛ What have you done now . . ❜

Sephiroth spoke to a Hojo who was not there ; voice just barely above a whisper. Gloved right hand reached for the cool surface of the glass encasing water and whatever it was which lived inside @mcrroww. Half of him expected hand to penetrate glass to touch the creature within which made no degree of sense . . but he had thought it possible . . for a second. He ceased looking past her and feline eyes focused on the creature's face with a gaze of curiosity and pity.

❛ . .What are you? ❜

[aonemanarmy]

Sephiroth was far too quick to be avoided and as such he was able to seize hold of and pin Vincent by the throat to the wall. The grip was crushing, but not enough to cut off the other man's breath completely as that would quite literally kill the point. He didn't want to kill the man – yet – but he wanted to make a point, although he could see that the ex-Turk remained defiant. For someone that behaved as if they wanted to peace as an option Vincent certainly didn't know how to go about it; he seemed far more apt at provoking Sephiroth and he would gladly make the gunman regret his decision if that's what he wanted.

At the remark of Vincent pitying him Sephiroth only scoffed. Did the other man think his opinions meant anything to him? He didn't know the ex-Turk and quite frankly he didn't care what he or anyone else thought since none of it mattered. To their kind he was nothing but a useful tool anyway, so let his opponent enjoy his little snide remarks as it would get him no satisfaction.

What did catch Sephiroth's interest was the bright flash of vermilion in the other man's eyes, the sight of which already had his super-human reflexes kick into action. It was the only thing that spared him getting skewered on the tips of razor-sharp talons as he leapt back, following the thrust of the transforming man's arm. Were he an ordinary human then he would've been impaled and thrown across the room like a rag doll, but Sephiroth had been born to fight monsters and looking at Vincent now that was what he saw.

So it would seem that the ex-Turk wasn't lying about being one of Hojo's projects. It would appear they did have more in common than he initially thought, but Vincent was still of the mind that the ones responsible for their suffering were worth sparing. One would think such naive thinking would've been torn from his flesh by Hojo's tinkering, but apparently the gunman had been a normal human far too long to readily see them for the scourge that they really were.

“And so the real you finally comes out at last,” he spoke, amusement clear in his voice as he stared down the transforming man before him. It appeared that for whatever reason Vincent was still trying to hold back on unleashing the beast completely, but why the former Turk would do that was beyond him. “Humans have done this to you, yet you still think they deserve mercy? Is this the peace you were granted by them?”

Sephiroth brought forth the Masamune in front of him, blade at the ready as he faced off against Vincent's transformation. Whatever the man's final form would be didn't matter, since once combat started all it would be was another monster for him to put down, just like those he'd been sent to cull on this mission. Not to mention, if Vincent decided to follow through with a battle in these close quarters then surely the sounds would eventually be enough to alert the rest of the soldiers on duty and reinforcements would come to see what the commotion was.

Not that Sephiroth needed any form of back-up to take Vincent down. Regardless, the gunman would soon find himself outnumbered and put down and if his immortality was real then he would be disabled. If the man were wise he would've taken the opportunity to flee that Sephiroth had so graciously granted him earlier, but it was too late for regrets now.

He's just like the rest of them.

He thought he could fool you, but I told you the truth.

Let him show mercy to our tormentors, for we will have none.

The soundless voice echoed in his thoughts not for the first time, offering him true salvation if he would only reach out and take it. Had his sanity not been on the verge of total collapse then he would've questioned where it came from or why the intrusive thoughts were invading his mind, but he didn't care any longer. All he knew was that along with the words came a strange sense of comfort he had never felt in his life and because he was starved of any positive experiences he latched onto it like a starving man onto the last scrap of food.

“You never did answer me,” he said coolly, lunging forward with a wide slash of his blade seeking to take off the large, taloned hand at the wrist. “Or is this the peace you would grant me? Living like a monster trapped in a cage?”

Vincent knew full well what Shinra was. He was living proof of that. And though he had tried every angle to help Sephiroth see he didn't have to shackle himself to the hate, let alone Shinra, it seemed like Vincent could do nothing to persuade Sephiroth otherwise. Sephiroth was blind to kindness and how Vincent would never have faulted Sephiroth for feeling the animosity for all mankind... just like Lucrecia. I never blamed you... And I never will.

This freedom Sephiroth was seeking was a one-way ticket to hell-- an eternity of loneliness and suffering. Vincent knew this all too well, having tasted only a fraction of that same darkness that emanated from Sephiroth so strongly. While Vincent knew little of what Jenova really was, he couldn't fathom how this power was something a Cetra, the caretakers of the planet, was capable of conjuring. It felt morbid, cruel, and despondent. Much like the power coursing through his veins. The Cetra were those who cared for the planet, and were thus more peaceable. At least, that's how Professor Gast made it seem. 'Ethereal grace' was how Gast described Jenova and by matter of association, the Cetra. But if that were the case, why did he feel a sense of corruption pulsing through Sephiroth? Vincent could understand Sephiroth's rage. But his power and strength... Was this truly the power of a Cetra? Who do you think you are? Vincent chided himself as he clung to the hope of getting Sephiroth to open his eyes. He couldn't save Lucrecia, he couldn't even save himself. So what made him think he could save Sephiroth...? It was enough. He was responsible for allowing Sephiroth to be forged into Shinra's perfect monster. It was now his responsibility to amend his sins. Before Vincent could retort anything, he felt a sudden crushing grip on his neck, his back once again making rough contact with the surface behind him. He gasped, fighting against Sephiroth's grip that threatened to sever his breath. Though struggling for an opening, Vincent's eyes were fixated on Sephiroth with an ever defiant glare. He had no choice. If violence was what Sephiroth craved, then violence was what he would get. "I pity you..." He strained a hushed groan. Suddenly, his eyes glowed a bright vermillion. Flaring his talons, Vincent vehemently slashed at Sephiroth, seeking to tear his chest open. His inner beast had awakened. It was all Vincent could do to keep it subdued while utilizing its power to thrust Sephiroth away. Vincent growled deeply, his voice becoming slightly altered with a demonic tone. Sephiroth may have been strong. But he wasn't invincible. @aonemanarmy

[altocat]

wait i just caught up

little seph is asking EVERYONE HE MEETS about his mother?!?!?? WHAT. THE. FUCK.

hojo needs to be flayed alive and barbecued for this i am so serious

Apparently Seph just does that. He was planning on asking the trio this entire time. We don't know the extent of what he currently knows about his mother, though we're likely to find out. It's also possible that he has an actual picture of Lucrecia he's referencing, which is VERY interesting (and heartbreaking). Sephiroth said in CC that he has been searching for this his entire life. Turns out he wasn't lying.

Anyway this is really fucked up and upsetting. I lean into the mommy issues stuff with Seph as subtext. But apparently, this is a REAL fucking thing with him, enough to ask total randos for on a daily basis.

Hojo is garbage 🗑️

[shinidamachu]

Okay so we all know by now why Inuyasha fell for Kagome — it’s fairly obvious, because she’s amazing, who wouldn’t? But why do you think Kagome fell in love with Inuyasha? At the beginning of their journey she couldn’t stand his rash and abrasive attitude and was always saying how a guy the complete opposite of him would be her type, so what made her grow from just viewing him as a friend who she would need to teach to bring out of his shell, into a viable romantic interest?

I’m sure we can all pinpoint the time when Kagome really started developing feelings was her seeing Inuyasha’s human night for the first time and when he was laying in her lap and saying how good she smelled, being honest with his true feelings for once. What was it about that moment that caused Kagome to start to see Inu in a new light? Was she attracted to his vulnerability? When she saw that combined with his always protecting her was that enough to stir her heart? What’s your take on what it was about Inuyasha that made made Kagome fall in love?

So I think it’s obvious by now why Inuyasha fell for Kagome, but what exactly was it about Inuyasha that made Kagome fall for him? How did she go from dislike to tolerance to seeing him as a friend she could teach and learn to open up to the world into a viable romantic interest? She says it herself early on, Inuyasha was the exact opposite of her type, so what exactly was it about him that attracted her to him that he couldn’t already give her at the friend level?

I'm guessing you asked @born-for-eachother this very same question a while ago? And her answer was as insightful as ever, so I'm not sure what else can I say to expand on her already brilliant take, but I'll give it my best try.

This is Kagome's reply when her friends asked what her type is. Mind you, she's only fifteen. Kagome might think that she knows what she wants, but she most definitely doesn't know yet what she needs. And that's an important distinction.

Also, please notice that Kagome's lying to herself, because there's only one person in the series that fit her criteria perfectly: Hojo. Even still, she had no romantic interest in him whatsoever despite the statement above.

And the scene's whole point wasn't to stabilish the kind of guy Kagome would fall for, but to show us that, when asked about what her type was, Inuyasha crosses her mind, even if it was in a "negative" light.

If it was the case, it would have made way more sense for her to simply describe a type and define Hojo as the yardstick against which all potential boyfriends would be measured, but instead she made the entire thing about Inuyasha, subconsciously drawing a correlation between him and romantic interest.

And of course, Inuyasha actually does have at least half of the qualities Kagome was listing. She just didn't have the opportunity to realize that at the time, since their first impression of each other was disastrous and Inuyasha was keeping his guard up. She didn't know the real him yet.

That's why she couldn’t stand his rash and abrasive attitude at the beginning of their journey. Kagome thought he was being a jerk for the sake of being a jerk and, for his part, Inuyasha was constantly proving her misconceptions right.

It takes a little time for her to figure him out, which is to be expected because, at first, he made his life's mission to push Kagome away and she have never met someone like him before, but eventually, she manages to see right through him.

His selfishness was a facade. He had to think of himself first because he learned that if he didn't, no one else would. However, he did care for others, no matter how good he was at pretending otherwise. And he might complain about it the whole time, but he always does the right thing in the end.

Especially when it comes to Kagome. There were many occasions in which he resigned himself with letting her go, be it because he feared for her own safety, be it because he knew it wasn't fair of him to ask her to stay even though the thing he wanted the most was to have her by his side. When push comes to shove, he prioritizes Kagome's well being over his own feelings every time. This is the opposite of selfish.

Inuyasha isn't malicious, he's just a impulsive boy who had little to none social interactions growing up. He doesn't really mean a lot of what comes out of his mouth, or at least he doesn't always mean it in a rude way. When he does mean it, it's often a defense mechanism to keep people away, a form of hurt them before they could hurt him. It's only natural for Inuyasha to act the way he does at first. And it was even more natural for Kagome to pick up on that eventually:

He is kind. You can tell by how he puts his life on the line even for those who judge him a monster. He has been wronged in so many ways, by so many people and he still forgave and forgot most of it, showing them the compassion he was denied of. You can also see it in the detais: the way he treats children — slapstick comedy aside —women or any person who can't stand up for themselves, how he provides for and takes care of his friends, the relationship he had with his mother, the gentle way in which he touches Kagome, gives her his robe when she's cold and nurses her back to health when she's sick. I could go on and on.

Granted, he is violent. But for the longest time, violence was all he knew. And it was this very violence that more often than not kept Kagome and their friends alive. He is short tempered. But then again so is she. And he might be the farthest thing from obedient, but I highly doubt Kagome would have fallen so hard and so deep for him if he wasn't.

Futhermore, I think you nailed it on the head when you said Kagome started developing real feelings for Inuyasha after their first New Moon together.

This is when she finally starts to truly understand him. For once, there was no walls up, no bullshit, no covering their connection with hostility. Only vulnerability, brutal honesty and the shy beginning of one of the most important themes in their relationship: trust. Here, Kagome realizes that there is more to him than meets the eyes, that there's an opening for her to come in. Which she does. And the more she gets to know him, the more she notices that he can be selfless, good and kind.

I'd also like to point out that Kagome had already showed signs of physical attraction to Inuyasha way before that.

Obviously, you can admire your friend's appearance in a non romantic way, but her reaction to his looks at the time and the reminiscing of how heroic he looked back then cannot be interpreted as platonic.

But more than that, the thing that really attracted her to Inuyasha, what he couldn’t already give her in a friendship level, was plain and simple the way he made her feel.

Although it was mostly Inuyasha starting the romantic moves, Kagome has always responded to them. His actions awakened in her sentiments she had never had to deal with before. It's new. It's exciting. It's terrifying. It makes her feel alive. And no one else has ever done it for her. Not even close.

Inuyasha turned her world upside down. Being the beautiful, smart and popular girl that she was, love was something that has always came easily to Kagome. She was pretty used to people liking her gratuitously. Her relationship with family and friends was simple enough, but with Inuyasha, she had to work for it, to build it with him from scratch. It was trial and error. It required patience, acceptance, trust, effort and sacrifice from both parts.

Most importantly: Inuyasha challenged her, turned her life into an adventure. He toughed her up, encouraged her to improve and become the very best version of herself, added a gray area to the black and white perspective she had on things, brought her out of her comfort zone. And she enjoyed rising up to the occasion. I think that anything different would bore her very quickly.

Then there's the easiness in which they fit into each other's world: her little brother worships the ground Inuyasha walks on, her grandpa appreciates Inuyasha's help at the shrine, her mother is treated by Inuyasha with nothing but ultimate kindness and respext. Even her friends approve of him. This brings forth the unshakeable feeling that they have always been together, that their meeting was no coincidence.

Plus, Inuyasha actually cares about her. Not her beauty, not her popularity, not her powers: her. Kagome turned the head of many guys during the series, but none of them know her down to the core like Inuyasha does. Her fears and insecurities, her friends and family, her quirks and believes, likes and dislikes, qualities and flaws: Inuyasha knows them all. He sees her beyond of what she looks like. He loves her for who she is rather than an idealized version of herself that does not exist.

It doesn't matter to him if she's wearing her best clothes or covered in demon goo. He had seen her crying, sweating, bloodied, dirty, sick, in extreme need of a bath and his opinion of her never lowered. If anything, I'd say Inuyasha wanted to be with her even more. Kagome didn't have to try too hard, didn't have to be anyone else for him to like her. All he ever expected of her was her company. And that's gotta be refreshing.

At last, I personally believe that wanting what you "can't" have also plays an important factor here. Inuyasha came straight out of a fairy tale, only to get her happily ever after, Kagome had to overcome lunatic villains, Inuyasha's traumas, her own insecurities, the fact that they belonged to different eras, miscommunications, heartbreaks, the stigma that a relationship between a priestess and a half demon carries, three years of separation and lastly time-space itself. Every obstacle only seemed to make her want him more.

Kagome's life could have been a lot easier if she had decided to let it go. She could have pursued an uncomplicated relationship with one of the male characters practically throwing themselfes at her feet — one of which, in theory, checks all of her boxes —, but she didn't. Which makes sense because, to quote Taylor Swift: nothing safe it's worth the drive.

And it all comes full circle, because her desires and necessities have finally aligned. Inuyasha might not have been what she wanted for herself at first, but he has always been exactly what she needed. And after she realized that, I can't imagine Kagome ever wanting anything — or anyone — else.