Summary: Laguna in Winhill. Small but beautiful chapter of the FFVIII story.
Winhill
-It hit me that I get to use one of Siren’s abilities for the first time here. The Bite Bugs’ poison annoys me? “Treatment” for Kiros.
-Two soldiers in town seem to be guarding a main house that I can’t enter.
-OH!!! I just tried using one of my GF’s recovery abilities and I finally found out what they’re for, and what those weird items are for.
-Kiros asks my question: what’s Laguna’s job? Everyone who works was sent off to war, so Laguna keeps the monsters clear. He’s basically a town guard, and now he’s got Kiros to assist.
-Really can’t get over how elegant Kiros’s attack animations are in the game. Easily my favorite of any character.
-I had assumed we’d get new interactions and dialogue on moving through the town with Kiros now, but so far nothing.
-This is only vague, but this whole Winhill interlude reminds me a bit of one of my favorite pastoral moments in the FF series: Lix, Bartz’s home in FFV. Both the tone and the music.
-They reach the edge of town, patrol completed. Time to report back to the commander… oh! The commander is Raine. Awesome! Lolol – the assistant commander is Ellone.
-Still not sure why that one item shop hates Laguna. How could anyone hate this dude?
-HAHAHA HOLY SHIT, I JUST GOT TO SEE KIROS’ LIMIT BREAK FOR THE FIRST TIME.
”Blood Pain.”
It’s as awesomely elegant as everything else about his character design.
-I tried turning right to take the long way, but Laguna basically wouldn’t go that way.
LAGUNA: “I always take this way back from patrol.”
KIROS: “Did the faeries do this?”
LAGUNA: “…Maybe.”
Again with the faeries. Must be an inside joke. Or maybe some interaction I just forgot about from the earlier section in Deling City.
-Huh. Laguna had wanted to be a traveling journalist at first… and Kiros talked to the “Timber M******” chief editor and got Laguna a job offer. Jesus. #friendshipgoals. Kiros = the literal best. Though Laguna seems hesitant.
-Laguna wants to stay in town a bit before moving on with Kiros – and specifically does NOT want to write about it.
He really cares for this town.
-I think I’ve used Ifrit almost every fight.
-Back at the pub, and nobody’s here. Please let them just be upstairs please let them just be upstairs please le… phew. Ellone and Raine are upstairs talking. Because they apparently have a rude and curious streak, Kiros and Laguna listen in.
-Ellone wants to know if Raine is going to marry Laguna. Raine lets forth a litany of complaints about him, but it’s hard to tell whether they’re things she really doesn’t like or charming quirks.
Probably the latter given the tone.
-Hee – Ellone totally ships them. And yeah, Raine’s main thing seems to be that she doesn’t think Laguna’s journalistic aspirations would allow them to settle down here. I’m not so sure, having just seen his hesitation when talking to Kiros.
-THIS WHOLE SECTION IS SO CUTE! A flustered Laguna “emerges,” reports in, and gets told to nap in his room.
Reporting in about the patrol to Assistant Commander Ellone.
I’m fully expecting an attack while he rests up.
-Back in Laguna’s room.
LAGUNA: “I get so scared sometimes. Scared of waking up somewhere else [oh man, what if HE’S dreaming of the SEEDs??]… Scared of not seeing Ellone…”
KIROS: “Scared of not seeing Raine?”
LAGUNA: “What happened to me? I feel… what is this I’m feeling? Oh please, let it be this room when I wake up! Please let me be in this puny bed when I wake up!”
This is me, a 32 year old man, crying again thanks to a side character in the Final Fantasy series. I relate so hard to this character at this place in his life, to someone who had always felt the need to wander and is struck by a gradual change – the desire to stay.
-The scene fades, and we return to Rinoa and friends.
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Next time: back to the future.
”I don’t have to leave anymore.
What I have is right here.
Spent my nights and days before
Searching the world for what’s right here...”
-the xx, “Islands”
