Zack and Sephiroth... Amour?

[zackfairthepuppy]

Take a look at this cutscene, people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feQQ_OUqbXE&feature=related
Here's the scene broken down, line by line:

S: Mission failed. This goes on your permanent record.
Z: Huh...? Sephiroth?! Long time no see!
S: Let the Turks take care of the rest. I was on my way to Modeoheim, but i heard you were in the area.
Z: Lucky me.
S: The situation has not resolved. Genesis copies have been sighted around the world.
Z: That can't be! We wiped out those Genesis copies.
S: Did Genesis really die?
Z: Uh...
S: They've been sighted in Midgar as well.
Z: I see...
S: The slums, too.
Z: ...
S: Permission to return... granted.
Z: Uh, yeah...
S: Take care.
Z: You too.

Z: Hey, what's going on in Modeoheim?
S: The device Hollander was using has been stolen.
Z: ...Genesis?
S: Probably.
Z: ......
S: We'll meet again soon.
Z: I'll hold you to that.

Okay, so the scene starts out pretty normal. Zack couldn't get hold of Hollander, and Sephiroth comes along and tells Zack that he's failed. Zack's really excited to see him after a long time, hence the "Huh? Long time no see!" Seph then tells him something about Turks then he says that he heard Zack was in the area.
Alright, pretty normal so far.

Until Zack makes this strange remark:
1. "Lucky me."
And he doesn't just say it - he stretches it out, like he's pissed that Sephiroth met him. Like he’s pretending to despise his arrival. Look, i know that the young ShinRa operative Zack was a cocky, immature, and happy-go-lucky guy, but not now. He's now a strong and mature 1st Class SOLDIER. That sounded like a pretty stupid quote coming from a 1st Class who's in charge of training hundreds of rookies. So that's only the first weird thing that happens.

2. Then Seph talks about the Genesis copies being sighted in the slums as well. So he's trying to get Zack to take this issue seriously because Aerith's life is at stake too, and Zack's expression turns serious. I know what you’re thinking – if Seph really cares for Zack inthat way, why would he mention Aerith? My theory – he just doesn’t care. He either thinks that Zack fancies him over Aerith, or he just doesn’t mind the fact that Zack is mingling with two people at the same time. Simple as that.

3. After Seph tells him to take care, Zack replies in a very unsure way - almost like he's confused as to why Seph wants him to leave so early. Zack then turns around and starts talking about a little device that was stolen. WTH?! To me, it felt like Zack just started talking to Seph because he wanted to ask... (which brings me to my fourth point)

4. ... if he was going to see him again. BUT SEE, he didn't REALLY ask. He made his sissy gestures (which i thought was really odd and unexpected), which Sephiroth actually UNDERSTOOD. How did he know Zack was going to ask him that?! Did Sephy have that question on his mind too, but shrugged it off because he expected Zack to ask him? Why was Zack so embarrassed to ask whether he’d see his long lost comrade again? And not only that...

5. After Sephiroth tells him that they will indeed meet again, Zack's face looks so, so relieved. Like his whole life got better.

6. Of course, the infamous, sly smile that emerges from Sephiroth’s lips after Zack heads back.

I don't know about you, but this cutscene implies some serious ZackSephiroth yaoi. Sooo… i made these little observations after i watched this for about the 20th time
What do you guys think? Totally normal or totally yaoi?

 

[ForceStealer]

They're just being friendly. But to shippers, especially yaoi shippers, everything implies twoo lurve.

 

[Roger]

Yes, Zack has a fanboy crush on Sephiroth. Yes, Sephiroth pickes up on it (everyone had a fanboy crush on Sephiroth in those days, so it's really nothing to wonder at)

 

[Danseru-kun]

Zack's profile says that "he's close friends with Sephiroth" so officially there were close but for yaoi... dunno.

 

[Captain Jack Harkness]

CC isn't a happy time of Seph's life (let's suppose he has happy times in his life, ok?). he had only two friends and one deserted, declare war to shinra and is diyng, the other deserted and now is dead. Shinra expects everybody (zack and Seph inclused) go ahead with this. you can easily understand is not easy for Seph and i think zack is just worried for him.
and for the smirk, i think Seph is thinking:
a)"Zack, Angeal was right.You're really a puppy" or
b)"Genesis, you're a idiot. stop mime me" or
c)"oh, the Sister ray. how many good memories.... that fight with genesis... and Hojo will die triyng to help me using it.. "
but, like minato said, everybody had a fanboys crush for Seph

 

[zackfairthepuppy]

They're just being friendly. But to shippers, especially yaoi shippers, everything implies twoo lurve.

I'm definitely not making this up. I could have just said something like "OHHH, Sephiroth's staring at Zack's ass. He's GAY." I gave 5 other reasons, backed up by solid proof. Think of it this way - why would the creators even want to include this cutscene in the game in the first place, ulness it was exploring their personalities through their dialogue and behavior? Setting my opinion that they are hinting at BL aside, what purpose would this cutscene serve? Zack's just asked to head back to take a break before another mission, and we already know that Seph was a nice guy in CC (so no need to further prove his kind and considerate heart). Think about it.

 

[Gym Leader Devil]

I'm definitely not making this up. I could have just said something like "OHHH, Sephiroth's staring at Zack's ass. He's GAY."

You could have, but that'd have been silly

I gave 5 other reasons, backed up by solid proof.

This proofz, show it to me. I didn't see any such thing.

Think of it this way - why would the creators even want to include this cutscene in the game in the first place, ulness it was exploring their personalities through their dialogue and behavior?

That is why they made this cutscene and dialogue. Exploring characters personality does not equal "they wanna sex each other up" though.

Setting my opinion that they are hinting at BL aside, what purpose would this cutscene serve?

Showing us directly that Sephiroth wasn't always a maniacal, world-ending asshole?

Zack's just asked to head back to take a break before another mission, and we already know that Seph was a nice guy in CC (so no need to further prove his kind and considerate heart). Think about it.

Show, don't tell. SE is pretty shit at it sometimes, but even they remember that just telling people "Sephiroth could be pretty decent before the whole Nibelheim thing" isn't as good as letting us see him be decent. I thought about it, that's what I came up with.

 

[minimosey]

1. "Lucky me."
And he doesn't just say it - he stretches it out, like he's pissed that Sephiroth met him. Like he’s pretending to despise his arrival. Look, i know that the young ShinRa operative Zack was a cocky, immature, and happy-go-lucky guy, but not now. He's now a strong and mature 1st Class SOLDIER. That sounded like a pretty stupid quote coming from a 1st Class who's in charge of training hundreds of rookies. So that's only the first weird thing that happens.

Not odd. Zack has matured, but he still has his immature moments and the first comment Sephiroth made was about Zack failing and that it'd go on his permanent record. So yeah, "luuuucky" him that Sephiroth had to see that.

#2 isn't evidence for Zack/Sephiroth at all, all it does is try to pre-empt a counterargument.

3. After Seph tells him to take care, Zack replies in a very unsure way - almost like he's confused as to why Seph wants him to leave so early. Zack then turns around and starts talking about a little device that was stolen. WTH?! To me, it felt like Zack just started talking to Seph because he wanted to ask... (which brings me to my fourth point)

Zack just got a bombshell dropped on him that Genesis copies are back and Genesis might not have actually died. It's a lot to take in and think about, so I'd say it's pretty normal that Zack both leaves the conversation slowly and then realizes that wait, if Sephiroth is headed somewhere there's probably more to the situation. He's not the one to bring up the device. He asks about what's happening at the place Sephiroth mentioned.

4. ... if he was going to see him again. BUT SEE, he didn't

ask. He made his sissy gestures (which i thought was really odd and unexpected), which Sephiroth actually UNDERSTOOD. How did he know Zack was going to ask him that?! Did Sephy have that question on his mind too, but shrugged it off because he expected Zack to ask him? Why was Zack so embarrassed to ask whether he’d see his long lost comrade again? And not only that...

...He's not long lost, they just hadn't seen each other in a while. There's a difference.

Also, I think Zack is embarrassed to ask because it's a sensitive topic. His mentor left the company after meeting with Genesis, and then forced Zack to kill him. There's not exactly an easy way to go "Hey, you're not going to go rogue for him too, are you?" especially when the most likely outcome to that hypothetical situation would be Zack being sent after him.

And Sephiroth is aware of the situation and that potential route. He's been considering leaving the company, it comes up shortly afterward. Zack's question isn't hard to guess.

5. After Sephiroth tells him that they will indeed meet again, Zack's face looks

so, so relieved. Like his whole life got better.

You'd be relieved to not have to potentially face down and kill another friend, yes.

6. Of course, the infamous, sly smile that emerges from Sephiroth’s lips after Zack heads back.

Eh, I'll give you that it looks pretty sly, but Sephiroth may honestly just be happy that Zack shows real concern about him and not in a "will you be a liability' way. He's lost his two friends and Zack is the closest he has to one at the moment, but he's never been an open book emotionally.

And he's probably amused at how Zack did it because lol that gesturing.

In the context of the entire situation, taking the plot into account, the only unusual bits are Sephiroth mentioning the slums specifically when we weren't told about him knowing about Aerith, and him smiling after Zack leaves. He cares, but that doesn't mean it's romantic.

...Forum board keeps popping random QUOTE tags in here, wtf.

 

[Gym Leader Devil]

You'd be relieved to not have to potentially face down and kill another friend be horribly murdered by them, yes.

But no really, good thoughts there.

 

[minimosey]

LMFAO very true, they showed us exactly how that fight would have turned out. Even more reason for Zack to look like his life just got better.