#ffixweek

[caityelizabethjoy]

@ff9week2024 Day 6 - July 6th - Summer || Relationships || Voyage

I love how FFIX was largely produced in Hawaii, and the team working on the game got to enjoy a more relaxed work schedule.

I'm sure there was a tiny bit of respite for the gang to enjoy the sea during their journey.

[caityelizabethjoy]

@ff9week2024 Day 3 - July 3rd - Cutscene || Active Time Event || Crossover

I mean, I adore every cutscene in FFIX, but Zidane rescuing Dagger from certain death gets me every time. The way she looks into his eyes - the way her face just crumbles - how she hugs him with unabated gratitude, tears welling up in her eyes... So much was left unsaid after this moment, but this scene speaks volumes to the unbreakable bond they've built.

[caityelizabethjoy]

@ff9week2024 Day 1 - July 1st - Party Member || Antagonist || Role Swap

I love the entire cast of FFIX, but my favourite party member always has and always will be our beloved protagonist - Zidane Tribal. I love his happy-go-lucky zest for life; I love how he develops and grows throughout the story, learning to accept other people's help; and of course, I love his unwavering selflessness.

One of my favourite lines of his is 'To hell with looks. It's what's inside that counts.' At the time of my first playthrough as a pre-teen who didn’t feel beautiful, this line meant everything to me.

[caityelizabethjoy]

@ff9week2024 Day 7 - July 7th - Melody || Memory || Future

And birds go flying at the speed of sound To show you how it all began

A perfect way to wrap up FFIX week. I chose the word 'melody' as I love how Dagger's song is intertwined all throughout the story, with the melody carrying her through her hardships, and drawing Zidane to her. The lyrics to 'Melodies of Life' perfectly capture how she comes to love him over their journey, and how heartbroken she was when he disappeared. It makes the ending all the more breath-taking when Zidane tells his beloved Dagger how her song brought him home to her.

At the same time, I chose the word 'memory' because there are many melodies from my childhood that are linked to this beautiful game, as they were on the radio around the time I first completed it in 2005. One in particular is Coldplay's 'Speed of Sound' - whenever I hear it, I imagine white doves flying overhead as Zidane and Dagger gaze above, hand in hand.

Final Fantasy IX changed my life. It is the fairy tale of my childhood, and I will cherish it forever.

[caityelizabethjoy]

@ff9week2024 Day 5 - July 5th - Eidolon || Mist || Twin Moons

I love how the Twin Moons collide over Zidane and Dagger at the end of FFIX, representing a Gaian and Terran soul coming together in love.

[caityelizabethjoy]

@ff9week2024 Day 6 - July 6th - Summer || Relationships || Voyage

He had one more surprise for her that night. "I taught the band our song," he said with a lopsided grin, and before she'd even registered this statement, the melody reached her ears, perfect in orchestral form. She gazed up at him, tears in her eyes, wondering how she could ever have been so lucky to receive a second chance at love.

Breaking the rules and making two posts today - because I have to talk about these two.

I just love everything about Zidane and Dagger. From the moment they met and Zidane vowed to kidnap her, his support for her was unwavering. He was instantly drawn to the princess, protecting her from harm without question or an ulterior motive - just because he wanted to help. Watching them bond and laugh and fumble their way through their early interactions was such a joy. The way their relationship changes throughout the game feels organic. For me, Zidane and Dagger’s relationship feels real - they can have a joke and be silly and sweet, but they also have moments of deep sincerity and vulnerability. They don’t always agree, and sometimes even argue, but they are always learning from each other. In this way, they make each other better people; they bring out the best in each other. When they were torn apart, they both realised just how much they meant to each other, and it didn’t take long for them to be drawn back together. I love how their relationship in the game begins and ends with ‘I Want to be your Canary’, and Zidane’s promise to her - in the end, he was able to capture his canary and find a place to call home. Their journey is so wonderfully romantic from start to finish - I can’t express how special their love story is to me.

I've been in love with these two since I was 12 years old. It may be the nostalgia, but I truly love the incredible storytelling in FFIX and Zidane and Dagger will always, always hold a very special place in my heart. I am so grateful that I grew up with this game. I still remember the first time I finished it - not believing they'd killed off the main character, squirming in anticipation and worry, seeing the hooded man's gloves and thinking 'they're Zidane's gloves, right!? He's alive, right!?' And the reveal! Oh my goodness. The way he theatrically throws off his cloak, declaring his love - probably my favourite line in the game - "Bring my beloved Dagger to me!" My heart burst with happiness the first time I saw the ending, and I remember sitting on the "The End" screen for a very long time afterwards, listening to the prelude, just taking it all in, overcome with emotion. I just love this game. I love these two.

[caityelizabethjoy]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

@ff9week2024 Day 6 - July 6th - Summer || Relationships || Voyage

A thief, a mute princess, and the blank pages of a leather journal. In-game aboard the Blue Narciss.

I’m sorry for posting a third time today - all three prompts were just too good!

Here’s a little fic I wrote that fits into the ‘Voyage’ theme - exploring Zidane and Dagger’s growing relationship as they voyaged across the sea to Kuja’s lair.

[caityelizabethjoy]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

@ff9week2024 Day 4 - July 4th - Race || Location || Filling Gaps

The night before the final battle, Zidane and Garnet have a heart to heart.