denotes art!Final Fantasy VIII recs
Out of every source material I've ever experienced, be it book, movie, television show, video game, or otherwise, Final Fantasy VIII has pretty much been my home, my niche, the place where I feel most comfortable. I love the characters and I love the universe and I love the potential scenarios the game left open for us to play with. I know it has a lot of faults but to me it gave me some of the most real characters, with flaws and interesting motivations. It's pretty much what kept me in the Final Fantasy series. ♥
--------------------------------------------------
Seifer/Zell Recs Seifer/Zell is my FFVIII OTP as well as my anything OTP. It's the pairing I love the most, because of the amazing interactions that are possible with it. I know that a lot of people think it's out of nowhere, but that really surprises me. The game basically dumps the fact that Seifer was important in how Zell views himself and how his confidence developed into our laps, and gave us the misguided youth in Seifer with no real emotional ties to anyone—to me, that's always screamed of "SLASH ME!" I definitely think the game throws enough (although less than I'd like, of course!) evidence of Seifer and Zell's past at us to justify this pairing. Hence me being completely obsessed.
Irvine/Seifer Recs Okay, people can call me crazy all they want, by I blame lassarina for leading us to the path of no return so long ago with drabble requests. Not to say the pairing didn't exist before, but she lit some kind of fire for me, and it clicked in interesting ways; I like imagining how Irvine would deal with Seifer's smart-ass attitude and protector complex, the ways they might bounce off each other. It's not the clashes that would occur here; it's the lack of them, since Irvine might not react in a predictable way.
Rinoa/Squall Recs This was my first pairing from FFVIII, I think. I rooted so hard for them, broken and abused teenagers in love, trying to figure things out for themselves while also trying to make their place in the world, like Rinoa, or in Squall's case, save it. Their dynamic can be so happy, and yet is also one of the most twisted relationships in the game. I love the depth and possibilities of these characters in love, growing with each other or even growing apart, as long as the bond between them is handled well.
Other Pairing Recs I have been pairing monogomous in my time, but now and then I will break out of my comfort zone to read something different — I like good Seifer/Fujin, Martine/Xu or even, god forbid, Seifer/Squall now and again.
--------------------------------------------------
Final Fantasy VIII - Gen
Five Times Quistis Triumphed Over Her Stressful Job, Seifer Almasy and Other Insurmountable Odds by first_seventhe
Sev is awesome in about 746,037 ways. That is all there is to say! (Quistis, Squall, Seifer)
--------------------
Ghosts by not_cynical
Something I bookmarked back from the Trick or Treat meme because I thought the whole idea was fascinating (and really, really want to metafic it). Susan should write more FFVIII, I think! I bet I could get people to back me up. I like the idea of Seifer doing these things; an interesting thread on the knight line. (Seifer)
--------------------
The Easy Part by not_cynical
Since I just played this part of the game, this story is probably hitting me hard because I just saw the scene before entering Galbadia—the Gardens crashing into each other, the battle in Balamb as well as on the Galbadia Garden Quad, especially the fact that because of the game, we don't see many of the battles that would probably be happening in Garden at the time. This piece does the job of driving home some of the things that probably went down. Very realistic and very horrifying. (Zell)
--------------------
Yes by first_seventhe
I doubt I will ever think or write about Rinoa again without considering this story. This story is—amazing and thoughtful. And when I consider how it was built, and how the sections work together to build a whole that is so strong, it becomes even more amazing and thoughtful.
I've considered how to rec this story for a very long time. I haven't left feedback on it, yet (breaking one of my own reccing rules, because honestly, how can I nag all of you to leave feedback if I don't set a good example?) because I can't collect the words I want to say in a coherent manner that I think describes how I feel about it. I've read it over five times; my feelings change each pass. I don't think there are enough words for me to describe how fabulous I think this story is.
I wish I could communicate how perfectly this piece holds together, but that would mean spoiling the end and I refuse to spoil the end, because end end is like the triple chocolate cheesecake at the end of a fabulous steak dinner where the steak is cooked just right and the table service is prompt and no one ever waits for a refill on their delicious beverage of choice. How often do I compare the ends of stories to food, especially cheesecake, which is one of my favorite deserts and rarely does anything take a higher spot in my heart than well-made, tasty cheesecake? Well, maybe I've done it before but this time I mean it.
So I know I am breaking my rules here but I feel like it is my charge to spread this story to others. Just—just read it and you will understand what I mean. And then you can come back and help me solve my total block on explaining how much I loved to this Sev by letting me read your feedback. This is a give-take thing. I think it will work out great. (Rinoa)
--------------------
Missing by thebaconfat
I could talk about missing scenes I want to see from the FFVIII world all day. Like, what does Irvine say to Selphie on the train after he joins the group, to get her so flustered? How does Quistis know Martine personally? What happened when the gang noticed Squall and Rinoa were gone—how did they react, what did they say? What did Rinoa and Zell talk about while the others where visiting Laguna, courtesy of the Ellone Express Train to The Past?
Well, that last one has an answer, and it's pretty awesome, I have to say. This quick scene slots right into the game. Two of my favorite characters are interacting! They talk about my other favorite character! I am not quite sure how Baco found my secret Seifer/Rinoa/Zell button!
;dksf;ajfa'lsf
That is my response to the end of the story. Okay, I wear slash glasses, I see it everywhere, it's fine. Gen fans will definitely want to read this, too. ♥ (Rinoa, Zell)
--------------------
Underestimated by not_cynical
This is a nice piece about Zell, small though it may be, and I heart it much. not_cynical sums up what I love best about Zell's character in just a few words. She really should write more Zell fic with Seifer, surely, because seriously the chances for banter are forecast at 100%!. (Zell!)
--------------------
A Shadow is Cast by bofoddity
A perfect 100 word drabble that's amazing. I get so greedy for Rinoa pieces like this, done just this way. I love what this drabble does. I tend to read a lot into short work, things that the author didn't intend, and I get that here with the whole thing. Very well done. (Rinoa)
--------------------
Godfather by siva630
This is very stark and moving. Some of the lines hurt because they ring true just so. It's a very in-depth look at Cid, even though it's so short. (Cid)
--------------------
On Redeeming Qualities by grayout
While I could say that I really enjoy the characterization here and drone on about some of the sentences and how they really cut to the quick of the issues while not lingering too long, that would end up being longer than the piece itself and rather spoil it. Instead I'll simply play the bias card and admit that I love seeing pieces about Rinoa that take her seriously while (how do I say this?) not taking her seriously. That really makes no sense without reading it. It's cutting and cute in equal measure, though. I liked it quite a bit. (Rinoa)
--------------------
Pet and Peck by edenbound
This is so cute and the fact that Zell gets teased for looking like a chocobo but doesn't really like to ride them gives a whole new depth to that taunt, oh god, it's hilarious, and the Seifer undertones, hello, Nikki is made of gallons of awesome. (Zell)
--------------------
The Anticlimax by code_epic
Wow. It's hard to find words that describe this story well. It's very rich and twisting. Time, such as it is, is turned on its head. What the author did here was brilliant in how simple it comes around but how complicated it becomes as a whole after finishing. The interaction with Squall and Seifer in particular grabs me, as well as Seifer's mixing memories and not-memories and really, this is possibly one of the best Time Compression stories I've ever come across and it handles it beautifully. (Seifer, Squall)
--------------------
Snippet by cyrnelle
Oh, this family dynamic (or lack thereof). Laguna, the same but yet totally a different person. It's pieces like this that remind me the game didn't really have a happy ending for everyone. The last line here; wow. (Laguna, Squall, Ellone)
--------------------
Lost Time by cyrnelle
Just like in the one above, this is so one of the ways I can see the Laguna/Squall father-son relationship playing out. Poor Laguna; it really comes across here that to see Squall is to be haunted by Raine, because he can see her in Squall so clearly. Some of the lines here make me want to cry, Laguna's what-if memories, and oh, do I ever hurt for both of them—if it's one happy ending I don't see happening immediately, it's there. Beating the bad guy can't fix all the problems and this piece here makes that oh-so-clear. Heart-heartbreakingly perfect. (Laguna)
--------------------
Bitterblue by regann
I really love all the FFVIII characters and Quistis is no exception. This piece examines how she discovered her blue magic—every game has a user that can use this type of magic. I can't say I really care for blue magic in game, so this piece was a delight in how it fleshed it out. I had never before considered that blue magic, in the FFVIII universe, might resemble sorceress powers; I had always assumed, sure, it might be weird for Quistis to be able to use magic without being junctioned, but strangely, I missed the sorceress connection and that's very well defined here. Quistis was lovely, too, a younger version of who we meet in the came coming into her own, learning about herself. Dr. Kadowaki is also very fleshed out and believable here, too. One of the better pieces I've read on Quistis in a long time. (Quistis)
