I love when people actually fill out edeas story during the game. Always nice to see peoples perspective

Just read this from your Tumblr and my God, that was amazing. I actually don't think Squall not being wounded is really a plot hole per say as Squall himself acknowledges it's bizarre and one can easily find in-universe explanations (although admittedly, they all boil down to "freaking magic, innit?"), but I have to say your take on it is fantastic.

The way you write Ultimecia is perfect, from the way she talks to the way she acts. She actually was a lot more intimidating than in the game, in my opinion. The way she effortlessly manages to inflict both physical and psychological pain is horrifying. I mean, compared to what she did there, the electricity torture almost seems like it's giving him a break. And her dirty old woman tendencies where she is acting disturbingly seductive towards Squall just adds to her creepiness. Ew! Ew! Ew! Not to mention she's using the body of his mother figure to do so. Double ew! Ew! Ew!.

I also like the way you wrote Squall, being defiant in spite of being in the most vulnerable position he's been and probably ever will be... which comes back to bite him in the ass. Speaking of that, the way you immediately set the mood, describing how hopeless Squall's situation is, is once again incredible and is really what makes this story so gut-wrenching to me.

So yeah, all in all, I can't say enough good about this. I do have some questions:

Since Squall is lying on a table, did they saw off the back end of the ice spike? I mean, I can definitely see Ultimecia do that if she thought she could use that to hurt someone.

How big is this room? That's the on thing I had trouble picturing. At first, I assumed it was fairly small, but it can not only accommodate Quetzalcoatl, it's big enough for it to have room to dive.

Is the lamp a reference to something I completely missed? You make a point of showing Ultimecia has seen it before and that its design is out of place, so I feel like I should know what it is, but it doesn't ring a bell

And finally, a minor nitpick. Early on, you say the floor is panelled (implying it's made of wood) but later on, the floor is described as being made of metal. I know, it's a small detail, but I couldn't help notice it.

Interesting way to explain how Squall woke up intact after that ice strike at the end of disc one. I liked how you explored the topic of how Seifer could have been lured by Edea. I feel that it was consistent with Squall's character that he would defend Seifer a bit too. Seifer being lured by the sorceress in FFVIII kinda reminds me of how Edmund was enticed by the White Witch in the Narnia books. I always had a soft spot for Edmund's bad decisions, and Seifer's too. Tragic.

I saw this fic elsewhere and gave you a review there; nothing wrong with giving you one here as well!

Then again, I hate to repeat myself... lol! To put it short: this is one of the most awesome one shots I've read in a while about FF8. I love the explanation of everything in here!

I'm sorry to hear about your health issues but although I am a new fan/reader, I still want to say welcome back! I will definitely check out your older works and be patient as you improve!

Fic! :D

As you already know by now, I have only good things to say about this story. You're one of the strongest writers I know in moodcrafting (among both fanfic and published authors!), and your skill in that area really shows in the beginning of this fic in particular. Your use of temperature imagery is absolutely exquisite, and I love how UTTER DESPAIR just saturates every single damn word of this fic.

As for your characterization ... well, everything you write for this fandom basically feels like it belongs in the game.

Hoping to see more soon! Thanks for coming back to the fandom and sharing this. :)

Happy to see you writing again, and what a story to return with. Your narrative is so strong, and it makes my senses really resonate with Squall's. The way you describe his mental battle with the pain and management of his wits is the perfect mix of detail and ambiguity. It lets me understand what's going on, while still leaving enough room for my imagination to fill the grim space between the lines.

Your possessed Edea is nothing short of terrifying. I love how you made her into the perfect psychopath. She feels real in her own way, perhaps akin to a serial killer like BTK.

All in all, great work! Also, sorry if there are any typos on this review, as it was written on my phone.

I'm glad to see you're back! I found your work when you were in your hiatus (before Lights in the Sky) and I'm very pleased to see you updating again! I very much look forward to the coming stories and to reread the old ones that you are intending to edit. In Love and War is one of my favorites, so I can't wait to see that!

As for this story, it was incredibly well-written; you've definitely improved (not that your writing was by any measurement bad before). You did a great job, in my opinion, of capturing Squall's personality at this point in the game.

Finally, I'm so glad you recovered after your health problems.