Here we go: my long-winded response to whiteashrose's FFVIII fic.
🍓✨ Break the Enchantment by whiteashrose
Wow, what a rush of emotions for a dearly awaited update. I missed the email notification, sorry for the late reaction!!
TL;DR -- To the author, it's a little embarrassing how much I really like your fic. 😂💖 (please click the "keep reading" button below to see my full post)
To everyone else who doesn't know -- I'm making a big deal outta this because it's a HUGE fic that deserves love, and I have hyperfixation tendencies. 😅
I feel so, so very privileged to know the rest of your story. 💖 Thank you for your time in explaining with such detail. I apologize for all my whining... I'm a fool... 😭
"I was never good at plots" EXCUSE ME?? Your writing is captivating. You inspired me to draw my fan comic! Inspired me to create my own, more fulfilling headcanons of the game! You transformed Ellone into someone a hundred times better than the original! (Even taking the romance part out, you made her interesting, you gave her a real personality.) Thank you for the refreshing ideas!
The reasons stated for not finishing the story, I completely understand and they are completely reasonable. Again, I'm in awe at the outline to satiate our curiosity. And really, with this final update, you finished the story. It's complete in my eyes. Cheers. 🎉 Thank you!!!
This author portrays every character pretty much exactly as I would wanna see them. And THANK YOU... your excerpt with Seifer gave much-needed depth to finally convince me of his redemption!!
I really like the Sorceress-born idea. I also like the OG's Hyne-succession idea. I like both. Maybe succession can potentially happen at birth, like, when it's just 100% impossible for a Sorceress to pass on her powers for some reason, it flows through the world and finds its way to a newborn candidate.
Whatever harassment the author received, shame on those people. Do you think the pairing is strange? Do you not like how Rinoa is portrayed? Go read something else!
⭐ On that note, I think I only have one critique:
Rinoa is probably a bit too antagonistic, thus I'm wondering if the mentioned "hostility" came from upset Squinoa shippers.
The story is perfect as is. Whiteashrose's more "aggressive" version of Rinoa makes sense for what this story is cooking. I see this as a thought-provoking "what-if" version of her! Which I find fascinating, and really fleshes out potential natures of Sorceresses in this world.
Though, I think the way Rinoa is portrayed makes her too obviously a "wrong" choice. Having her be just as sweet as Ellone could make the situation more compelling, I think. HOWEVER! In the author's version, I can see how Rinoa compares well with Seifer's character. Both kinda lose themselves in the Sorceress business, are too demanding in what they want, and suffer unfortunate results.
Lastly... I'm shocked Squall's name is never mentioned. I didn't notice at all, haha. To be able to do that successfully, very clever!!!
