[Recs] 5 fics, 1 illustrated fic, 1 comic, 1 art (FFVI, FFVIII, FFX, FFXII)
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justira: 5 fics, 1 illustrated fic, 1 comic, 1 art (FFVI, FFVIII, FFX, FFXII)
Wow! That weekend sucked! I don't know why I'm having such a terrible year! This reccing thing is fast becoming some kind of Dealing Mechanism. Well! Last call for DOINK! Final Fantasy exchange signups -- they're closing!
This appears to be my self-indulgence installment. One such indulgence is apparently Ashe? It's funny, she's not my favourite character in FFXII (I don't dislike her, I do find her interesting, but there are definitely others I like much more) and yet I apparently get the hugest kick out of a well-done Ashe in fic. Huh.
[Art] FFVI - SAND IN MY BOOT (Kefka) by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
muura
Rating | Warnings: G, no warnings
Notes: FFEX 2007 Chocobo Down — Kefka
Squee: A classic line/scene in an awesome style! I adore this artist's bright colours and unique look — both look awesome on Kefka, and there's something about they way this is drawn that brings Amano's design to vibrant, vibrant life. Kefka's expression and petulance are perfect.
[Illustrated Fic] FFVI - Spaces (Celes/Locke) byseventhe and safety_caesars
Rating | Warnings: PG13, spoilers through the end of the game.
Notes: FFEX 2007 Gift forlassarina — Locke/Celes. I would prefer a romantic relationship (explicit content utterly optional), although it's up to you whether it's an established relationship or one that is in the process of growing. I'd really love to see something about how they negotiate the rough spots that are part of any relationship, given all his scars and her general lack of ability to deal with emotions and things that cannot be categorized. Meta is always a plus. 4,700 words + 3 illustrations
Summary: A moment between Locke and Celes, as they try to fit their relationship into and around the holes in their lives.
Squee: There's something very fleshed-out and full about the feel of this story, especially with the pictures interleavened — all the little details, weaving together post-game meta and Celes's feelings and hints of a wider plot into something that really feels like a slice of life: four-dimensional and quietly vivid. The illustrations match the mood perfectly and are well-executed and lovely in their own right. I love how magic is presented as a lost sense to Celes; how the characters — the world — deal with that loss. Both Celes and Locke are great here, but Celes as the POV character really shines. Their dynamic is excellent, the way they dance around each other and are still so honest and direct.
[Comic] FFVIII - On The Run (Zell, Selphie, Irvine, some surprises) bydarthneko
Rating | Warnings: PG13 (minor swearing), spoilers through Galbadia sort of
Notes: FFEX 2009 Gift forwallwalker — Zell, Selphie and Irvine. Laying low during a mission gone horribly wrong, licking their wounds (so to speak) and making plans to get out of trouble. 4 pages
Squee: Oh my god, oh my god, the last page. The tension builds so excellently through the first pages, and then the last page is— man, I am not going to spoil it. It's just worth it. What I really love about this little comic is how it gives such an intense slice of an alternate reality — the minute I saw this I immediately could imagine all sorts of things to fill in the before and after the story — or, better yet, what this awesome artist would come up with. It's amazing how much storytelling and worldbuilding this artist manages to pack into so few pages, and layout-wise I love the first and last pages especially, how they mirror each other.
[Fic] FFVIII - Gefälschte (Squall/Laguna) bysumthinlikhuman
Rating | Warnings: NC17 like woah, hinty spoilers for their relationship
Notes: FFEX 2007 Chocobo Down — Squall and Laguna. Gen or Slash, any rating. 1,648 words
Summary: He looks like her. I shouldn't be thinking like this.
Squee: This story is ugly in the best way. It's harsh and sharp and unlovely and — for this ship? — perfect. The relationship is broken and dysfunctional and strangely intense, all of which exactly hits the spot for my Squall/Laguna. This take on Laguna is very conflicted and bitter, which is different from most of the Laguna I've read before — and I like it. There's something showcasing his weaknesses here that strikes me as just right; and the way those echo off Squall. It's wrong all over, and I love it.
[Fic] FFVIII - The Worth of Memory (Quistis/Rinoa, Xu, Squall, Kadowaki) byseventhe
Rating | Warnings:
Notes: FFEX 2009 Gift foraesriella — Quistis, with Xu, Rinoa, Seifer or Irvine, recovering from, working through or living the immediate aftermath of a difficult or draining experience with a GF, be it junctioning, withdrawal, an experiment or otherwise. Quiet, gentle romance, please. Additional prompts: Hands, farsighted, double vision (figurative or literal), sun on the water, understanding. 3,400 words
Summary: The Guardian Forces take memories as currency, but some ask for more than others.
Squee: OKAY so it's really hard to rec this properly qithout spoiling it? There's an excellent Quistis, there's gut-punching Quistis/Rinoa (you'll know it when you see it), there's GF and memory and Sorceress/Knight meta, there's hinty-hinty FFVI tidbits — really, I love it. The way Quistis's memory fragments is so excellently handled, and I love how differently various characters respond to it. The payoff is great; I reread this thing several times to make sure I got everything ♥
[Fic] FFX - On the Precipice of the World (Yuna, Rikku, Tidus, Cast) bycyrnelle
Rating | Warnings: PG. Explicit spoilers through Gagazet, vague for everything after.
Notes: FFEX 2009 Gift forxianghua — I think the culture of the summoners is fascinating. Why do some summoners have tons of guardians and others one or none? What makes someone decide to become a summoner — and how does the church of the summoners keep it from being suicide by giant monster for every emo idiot who comes along? My favourite characters are Yuna and Tidus, and I think the way that their relationship echoes, in some ways, the relationships of their fathers throughout X is really interesting. 6,400 words
Summary: The closer they get to Zanarkand, the harder it gets to let go.
Squee: This piece is very quiet and introspective — which, considering the POV characters are Rikku and Tidus, is quite a neat trick to pull off so well. As suggested by the prompt, this discusses Spira and summoning culture — I particularly like a scene near the beginning with Rikku running after a minor character — it's unique and insightful. Overall this story is a lovely little breather, with great voices for all the characters. It's touching and poignant without being overwhelming — it feels like the worried, anxious calm before the storm.
[Fic] FFXII - By Halves (Ashe/Rasler) bymithrigil
Rating | Warnings: PG13, very very vague spoilers so not really?
Notes: FFEX 2009 Gift for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif)
churched — Ashe/Rasler, their last night together. Max rating, R. 1,000 words
Summary: On traps, and relics, and things neither will say.
Squee: This story has a kind of stark sensuality that's absolutely lovely. It's the starkness that gets me, how real and immediate this feels, unadorned but beautiful. Ashe is perfect here, as is the mood, taut and slightly sullen and quietly desperate and fierce. I love the unresolved feeling at the end, perfectly suited to the piece. If I had to pick one word? Effective. So very effective.
[Fic] FFXII - Political Considerations (Ashe/Balthier) byowlmoose
Rating | Warnings: PG13, spoilers for Balthier's backstory and vague for the end of the game
Notes: FFEX 2009 Gift forlassarina — Balthier/Ashe. Romantic relationship preferred, explicit content optional. A big caveat to start this request: I hate submissive Ashe with the fire of a thousand suns, and I very much dislike it when a fic hand-waves away issues that prevent them from living Happily Ever After OMG (things like her throne, and his refusal to be chained down.) Things I dislike out of the way, let's talk about what I do like: I love them snarking. I love them being bittersweet. I love Balthier's performative aspects, and Ashe's need for personal control (because she doesn't get to control much else...) I'd really like to see something that focused on these - maybe a hunt, or perhaps they get separated from the party, or even (post-game-end) he comes by to visit her through some clever ploy or ruse that is unnecessarily elaborate. Or you could go the route where he's been captured for piracy within the bounds of Dalmasca and Ashe metes out an appropriate punishment. :) 5,018 words
Summary: A year after Ashe's coronation, she faces up to some realities of her position.
Squee: Another piece with an awesome Ashe. I love her here: strong and practical, direct in her desires and her politicking, independent and demanding. This story addresses the realities of this ship with grace and care and realism — I particularly love the political conversation Ashe and Balthier have on the Coast. So very satisfying a read!
♥
ff_press: [Recs] justira: 5 fics, 1 illustrated fic, 1 comic, 1 art (FFVI, FFVIII, FFX, FFXII)Wow! That weekend sucked! I don't know why I'm having such a terrible year! This reccing thing is fast becoming some kind of Dealing Mechanism. Well! Last call for DOINK! Final Fantasy exchange signups -- they're closing!
This appears to be my self-indulgence installment. One such indulgence is apparently Ashe? It's funny, she's not my favourite character in FFXII (I don't dislike her, I do find her interesting, but there are definitely others I like much more) and yet I apparently get the hugest kick out of a well-done Ashe in fic. Huh.
[Art] FFVI - SAND IN MY BOOT (Kefka) by
muuraRating | Warnings: G, no warnings
Notes: FFEX 2007 Chocobo Down — Kefka
Squee: A classic line/scene in an awesome style! I adore this artist's bright colours and unique look — both look awesome on Kefka, and there's something about they way this is drawn that brings Amano's design to vibrant, vibrant life. Kefka's expression and petulance are perfect.
[Illustrated Fic] FFVI - Spaces (Celes/Locke) by
seventhe and safety_caesarsRating | Warnings: PG13, spoilers through the end of the game.
Notes: FFEX 2007 Gift for
lassarina — Locke/Celes. I would prefer a romantic relationship (explicit content utterly optional), although it's up to you whether it's an established relationship or one that is in the process of growing. I'd really love to see something about how they negotiate the rough spots that are part of any relationship, given all his scars and her general lack of ability to deal with emotions and things that cannot be categorized. Meta is always a plus. 4,700 words + 3 illustrationsSummary: A moment between Locke and Celes, as they try to fit their relationship into and around the holes in their lives.
Squee: There's something very fleshed-out and full about the feel of this story, especially with the pictures interleavened — all the little details, weaving together post-game meta and Celes's feelings and hints of a wider plot into something that really feels like a slice of life: four-dimensional and quietly vivid. The illustrations match the mood perfectly and are well-executed and lovely in their own right. I love how magic is presented as a lost sense to Celes; how the characters — the world — deal with that loss. Both Celes and Locke are great here, but Celes as the POV character really shines. Their dynamic is excellent, the way they dance around each other and are still so honest and direct.
[Comic] FFVIII - On The Run (Zell, Selphie, Irvine, some surprises) by
darthnekoRating | Warnings: PG13 (minor swearing), spoilers through Galbadia sort of
Notes: FFEX 2009 Gift for
wallwalker — Zell, Selphie and Irvine. Laying low during a mission gone horribly wrong, licking their wounds (so to speak) and making plans to get out of trouble. 4 pagesSquee: Oh my god, oh my god, the last page. The tension builds so excellently through the first pages, and then the last page is— man, I am not going to spoil it. It's just worth it. What I really love about this little comic is how it gives such an intense slice of an alternate reality — the minute I saw this I immediately could imagine all sorts of things to fill in the before and after the story — or, better yet, what this awesome artist would come up with. It's amazing how much storytelling and worldbuilding this artist manages to pack into so few pages, and layout-wise I love the first and last pages especially, how they mirror each other.
[Fic] FFVIII - Gefälschte (Squall/Laguna) by
sumthinlikhumanRating | Warnings: NC17 like woah, hinty spoilers for their relationship
Notes: FFEX 2007 Chocobo Down — Squall and Laguna. Gen or Slash, any rating. 1,648 words
Summary: He looks like her. I shouldn't be thinking like this.
Squee: This story is ugly in the best way. It's harsh and sharp and unlovely and — for this ship? — perfect. The relationship is broken and dysfunctional and strangely intense, all of which exactly hits the spot for my Squall/Laguna. This take on Laguna is very conflicted and bitter, which is different from most of the Laguna I've read before — and I like it. There's something showcasing his weaknesses here that strikes me as just right; and the way those echo off Squall. It's wrong all over, and I love it.
[Fic] FFVIII - The Worth of Memory (Quistis/Rinoa, Xu, Squall, Kadowaki) by
seventheRating | Warnings:
Notes: FFEX 2009 Gift for
aesriella — Quistis, with Xu, Rinoa, Seifer or Irvine, recovering from, working through or living the immediate aftermath of a difficult or draining experience with a GF, be it junctioning, withdrawal, an experiment or otherwise. Quiet, gentle romance, please. Additional prompts: Hands, farsighted, double vision (figurative or literal), sun on the water, understanding. 3,400 wordsSummary: The Guardian Forces take memories as currency, but some ask for more than others.
Squee: OKAY so it's really hard to rec this properly qithout spoiling it? There's an excellent Quistis, there's gut-punching Quistis/Rinoa (you'll know it when you see it), there's GF and memory and Sorceress/Knight meta, there's hinty-hinty FFVI tidbits — really, I love it. The way Quistis's memory fragments is so excellently handled, and I love how differently various characters respond to it. The payoff is great; I reread this thing several times to make sure I got everything ♥
[Fic] FFX - On the Precipice of the World (Yuna, Rikku, Tidus, Cast) by
cyrnelleRating | Warnings: PG. Explicit spoilers through Gagazet, vague for everything after.
Notes: FFEX 2009 Gift for
xianghua — I think the culture of the summoners is fascinating. Why do some summoners have tons of guardians and others one or none? What makes someone decide to become a summoner — and how does the church of the summoners keep it from being suicide by giant monster for every emo idiot who comes along? My favourite characters are Yuna and Tidus, and I think the way that their relationship echoes, in some ways, the relationships of their fathers throughout X is really interesting. 6,400 wordsSummary: The closer they get to Zanarkand, the harder it gets to let go.
Squee: This piece is very quiet and introspective — which, considering the POV characters are Rikku and Tidus, is quite a neat trick to pull off so well. As suggested by the prompt, this discusses Spira and summoning culture — I particularly like a scene near the beginning with Rikku running after a minor character — it's unique and insightful. Overall this story is a lovely little breather, with great voices for all the characters. It's touching and poignant without being overwhelming — it feels like the worried, anxious calm before the storm.
[Fic] FFXII - By Halves (Ashe/Rasler) by
mithrigilRating | Warnings: PG13, very very vague spoilers so not really?
Notes: FFEX 2009 Gift for
churched — Ashe/Rasler, their last night together. Max rating, R. 1,000 wordsSummary: On traps, and relics, and things neither will say.
Squee: This story has a kind of stark sensuality that's absolutely lovely. It's the starkness that gets me, how real and immediate this feels, unadorned but beautiful. Ashe is perfect here, as is the mood, taut and slightly sullen and quietly desperate and fierce. I love the unresolved feeling at the end, perfectly suited to the piece. If I had to pick one word? Effective. So very effective.
[Fic] FFXII - Political Considerations (Ashe/Balthier) by
owlmooseRating | Warnings: PG13, spoilers for Balthier's backstory and vague for the end of the game
Notes: FFEX 2009 Gift for
lassarina — Balthier/Ashe. Romantic relationship preferred, explicit content optional. A big caveat to start this request: I hate submissive Ashe with the fire of a thousand suns, and I very much dislike it when a fic hand-waves away issues that prevent them from living Happily Ever After OMG (things like her throne, and his refusal to be chained down.) Things I dislike out of the way, let's talk about what I do like: I love them snarking. I love them being bittersweet. I love Balthier's performative aspects, and Ashe's need for personal control (because she doesn't get to control much else...) I'd really like to see something that focused on these - maybe a hunt, or perhaps they get separated from the party, or even (post-game-end) he comes by to visit her through some clever ploy or ruse that is unnecessarily elaborate. Or you could go the route where he's been captured for piracy within the bounds of Dalmasca and Ashe metes out an appropriate punishment. :) 5,018 wordsSummary: A year after Ashe's coronation, she faces up to some realities of her position.
Squee: Another piece with an awesome Ashe. I love her here: strong and practical, direct in her desires and her politicking, independent and demanding. This story addresses the realities of this ship with grace and care and realism — I particularly love the political conversation Ashe and Balthier have on the Coast. So very satisfying a read!
♥