Monday, December 21, 2015

FFVIII – Part 19: Steam Train, Dream Train


Summary: Some more time spent in Balamb. A nice relaxing train ride to Timber wait what’s this what’s happening who are you who are we what the fresh hell is going on


Balamb

-Explored outside a bit, but I feel like I’ve gone everyone I can go in this nook of the world. Into the town of Balamb.

-The conversation options at the Dincht residence have changed. A “rascal” is here to see Zell.

-ahhahah, it’s Big Bad Rascal. He looks up to Zell. I’m 0% surprised that Zell is good with kids.



It fits him. What a great character.

-AND OF COURSE THE KID PLAYS CARDS.

-It’s weird, but I’m getting flashbacks to my middle school years playing Magic. I know his type. He probably has tons of great cards and will kick my ass, so I don’t bet Ifrit or Quistis.

-Aw. I beat Big Bad Rascal and took one of his gold cards. Now I feel bad.

There was an asshole teacher in my friend’s middle school who ran “the Magic Club.” “But Coldrun, he ran a club for playing Magic! He sounds great!” …yeah, no. I only later learned that he basically ran it to swindle kids out of their good cards by making pennies-on-the-dollar trades with them after having earned their trust.

Now that’s me. Playing a kid and stealing his cards.

-Anyway, he’s here being babysat.

-oh my god, zell’s mom even plays Triple Triad. Took her T-Rexaur.


Get rex’d, Ma Dincht!

-People around town are discussing Zell. He’s not held in high regard for his composure and intellect.


Haven’t you ever heard of closing a goddam door?

I think people underestimate him.

-Came back to Zell’s house again, and now Big Bad Rascal’s mom is here talking to Zell about how much Rascal looks up to him. Super, super impressed with the town dynamics in this game.

-Ok, ready to move to the train station.

-…I’m probably going to regret this, but I challenged the Queen of Cards to Triple Triad. New rules this time, “Diff.” Hm. Backing out for the moment to look up what that means… ah. Winner takes the difference in cards. If she wins 6-4, she gets two cards. Yikes. Not betting anything I don’t want to lose.

-OH GOD WHOOPS. She changed it to “direct” from “diff” and I just noticed after I clicked “play.” Ok.

-Hey, I won! Her cards were kind of standard quality. I got a random card. Or maybe Direct means she picks which card to give me? …Oh. Interesting. I win cards I flip and lose cards that get flipped.

-Spent 3k gil on the train to Timber. Hopped on.



(Please don’t take me to the afterlife. #ff6problems)

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Aboard the Train

-The train goes underwater. It’s pretty awesome.

-And Selphie and Zell both agree! They’re so enthusiastic and optimistic. Really like each of them. Selphie’s sundress and boots combo is pretty badass too btw. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t ship them.

Too bad Squall is such a grumpus.

-omg I’m dying with joy selphie is singing train songs



“Train, train, take us away,
Take us far away,
To the future we will go…”

-Any initial negative reaction I had to Selphie is completely turned around. I want to hang out with her.

-And Zell is literally bouncing up and down on the cushions in the special SeeD section.



(Though why they have the special SeeD section when this is a stealth mission I don’t quite understand.)

-We got a magazine. [Pet Pals vol 1]. This is probably the FFVIII version of “Cat Fancy.”

-Zell drops a Timber exposition bomb. It used to be surrounded by forests, but Galbadia invaded then and it’s now under Galbadian occupation.

-Selphie comes in, not feeling well. If this is motion sickness, it’s a pretty weird parallel with Yuffie, giving the two more enthusiastic women that common trait.

-oh shit I called that one early. Not motion sickness. Everyone’s falling asleep/going unconscious, including Zell.



There’s a high pitched sound. Maybe that’s causing it? Or the Galbadians made them.

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The Magical Forest of Wtafishappening

-Uhhhhhh



-ummm

-Ok. We’re in a forest. Btw, we’re also different people now? Laguna, Ward, and Kiros. But we’re not?

-WHAT

-This new combat music is pretty fucking awesome btw. Like, nice electronic dance sound.

-I can’t with this. This is amazing. Kiros has two fisty blade weapons and Ward has a MOTHERFUCKING HARPOON



-Ok. Think, Coldrun. What is this? They’re running through a jungle. We know Timber is surrounded by it (or was), so these are probably Galbadian soldiers or Timber resistance soldiers. I’m betting Galbadian, since the resistance is probably more ragtag like AVALANCHE, and these guys feel like SOLDIER.

-We keep seeing gray text boxes showing that the three SeeDs are sort of conscious that they’re here, that this is a dream or something. They run through burning fields. Definite wartime.


Kiros’ glorious attack animation. She's awesome.

-HEY! I got a Screw. Now I can do a weapon remodel.

-hahahaha – the SeeDs are SO CONFUSED.



Right there with ya.

-It’s clear to me that this is “the past.” But is this magic? A gas? Ghosts of these three trying to pass on their story? Technology?

-These turn out to be Galbadian soldiers, fighting against Timber.

“The almighty Timber army?” Is that sarcasm? I could’ve sworn that just before we went into Nemo’s Dream Kingdom, Zell said the Galbadians stomped over the Timber army, that it wasn’t a challenge. So either this is sarcasm, or something happened that wasn’t in Zell’s history books that changed things.

-lolol they’re lost. Laguna is the leader. They’re heading for Deling City.

-again, I LOVE this new combat music! It sounds like… like it could be the background music for a particularly fast paced Ninja Gaiden level. YES, THAT’S IT! The tone reminds me strongly of this:


-They find a vehicle, hop in, and drive off.



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Next time: ???????