I have fallen in love with FF12 all over again because of you! I absolutely love your interpretation of Fran and Balthier's meeting, its so original! I love the personalities you gave Fran, Baltheir and Nono! just a simply wonderful story and a very beautiful ending too

This chapter is by far the best one in this story so far :) Good work and I love the character building!

Another wonderful story. I never really gave FFXII too much time because I didn't care for Van. But your story have made me view it in a different light. A mark of a wonderful read of an already awesome character.

Bravo - Well written tale. I applaude your ingenuity in inventing this tale. Your finishing line, of course, needed no invention. T'was perfect.

Greatness in 39 chapters. Thanks!

Despite your absence between Ch 21 and 22, I really didn’t notice it. You picked it up again very smoothly with the same high quality of writing that has so far characterized the last 21 chapters of this story. I have to say, I immensely enjoy the wide vocabulary and numerous uncommon words that litter the page. It’s so vastly different from the stuff I normally read and really adds authenticity to the setting of the story; I really do feel like I’m steeping out of reality and entering the world of FFXII.

My heart skipped a beat when I read ‘I know Magister Zaagabaath’s daughter.’ I’m pretty sure you revealed this fact earlier on in the story, but I had completely forgotten over these months and so that sentence read like a total slap in the face for me. Looking back now, I have a better understanding of the disgust he felt at himself when he formulated the plan on the ship. Terrific story telling and timing!

I found it hilarious and absolutely characteristic of Ffamran (and myself for that matter) when he became worried about the hygienic nature of Jules’ offered drink whilst he was about to pass out. And of course, all the little jokes of his slight intoxication that followed.

Some lines that stood out to me:

“Ruthy merely chuckled, low and rich and settled back in her chair like a well fed Couerl.” Love the image that immediately surfaces to my mind after reading that. It describes her so well.

“Ffamran rather doubted that anything in the entire room was under fifty years of age (except himself).” LOL

And the whole segment at the end of Cid and Ffamran’s shared laughter. It was such a beautiful and heartbreaking moment, especially – and I can’t emphasize enough how much I loved it – Balthier’s retrospection.

I would write more if this review weren’t already freakishly long and if it wasn’t three in the morning. (That's how much I like this story :D)

First off, an apology for my sudden absence; I warned you earlier that my reading pace is truly unpredictable.

Secondly, I still think you are one of the best fanfiction writers I’ve had the pleasure of reading from.

I admit, with the long delay between Ch 20 and this one, it took me quite a long time (sorry for all the Ch 21 hits!) to get through the first half or so of this chapter simply because I had forgotten a substantial amount of the story and wanted to make sure I devoured every sentence attentively. After the ball got rolling, however, it’s amazing how quickly I finished the rest of the chapter – and with such satisfaction too!

One of my favorite parts was when Balthier sat by the fountain with his bloody palms “forgetting propriety, proper posture, and the state of his hair... Where are you Fran?” I love the idea of him being so fixated on the thought of her whereabouts that he breaks down to such a delicate state, and the way you executed it was so perfect. Similarly, his discovery of her silver hair, and “the words blurring under the run of his tired, almost burning, eyes” made my heart squeeze in sympathy for him.

Some of my favorite lines from this chapter:

"...addicted to the cerebral thrill of pitting one’s wits against capricious chance and circumstance like nothing else..." Simply because I could never string together such words in a coherent manner.

"...succumbing to anyone or anything except the eventuality (and in her case very much eventual eventuality) of natural mortality." Made me laugh!

Hopefully I will manage my time better and be back for Ch 22 soon. )

) Oh this chapter was very entertaining with all the clever-talk and trickery and deceit. Many funny lines too, some of my favorites being "..had a moment of abstracted envy that this brute owned such a lovely gun.." and the last line. He’s landed in quite a scary situation, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he’s gonna be able to get himself out of it! Everything he’s tried so far seems very in character – you’re doing such a great job. I wish I had a quick mind like him when I was his age!

And don’t worry, I do intend on finishing this story, although I’m just not sure about my reading pace. I’ve taken in a number of war/doom/gloom literature and media, so it doesn’t necessarily intimidate me. Especially yours since you manage to add drops of humor every now and then, and you tend to play more with words and imagery so it’s not a scene of pure carnage. I just wasn’t feeling well the other day when I was reading Ch. 19.

In fact, the only thing that’s intimidating me is the thought of Anna being a part of all this forthcoming darkness and destruction ( That and Ruthy’s tongue – yeck, poor Ffamran!

Oh, my heart feels heavy… This was a difficult chapter to read. You described the scene of destruction, the victims’ suffering, and (my favorite) the stifling Mist with usual magnificence. I cowardly admit though that I quickened my reading pace during the detailed passages of blood, screams, and desperation mostly because I’m a bit drained at the moment, and my mind doesn’t have the energy to completely digest it without reacting like Guido. “…undead that rose like limp-stringed marionettes…” very haunting.

Although, I have to say that Balthier’s shooting of the victims made me pause momentarily and slow down. It almost seemed like a reflex for him as he did so “mechanically” and “methodically” and “calmly”. It makes me worry about his state of mind, and I like how it’s mentioned that he needs Fran to be there to help ease the shock and confusion inside him. I really liked the references made to Archades.

There were some amusing passages, including Nono’s instant declaration of innocence and Balthier’s “few quick acts of mental arithmetic, didn’t like the answers and so ignored the mathematical certainties that he was indeed about to get them all killed”.

You’ve handled this event very well; I only wish I had the stomach to appreciate it fully at the moment (Today’s unusual scorching hot and humid weather does not help -.-)

Oh, I am excited by the end of this chapter – the adventure begins! My favorite part was the beginning, as Ffamran reminisced about his childhood, then when he stood up to his father and left with relative simplicity. It really shows that he has thought of leaving for a long time now, and has had enough of his father’s antics that he just wants to simply leave. “there was nothing left for him in Archades” pretty much summed it up.

At “‘I have a prior engagement.’ Ffamran heard himself say” my eyes instinctively scanned the lines below for ‘Anna’ – I’m such a sucker for romance, especially after such a wonderful Chapter 16 )

The effect of Ruthy’s intimidating persona on Ffamran was very amusing, and it was interesting to see how quickly the bold, confident boy slipped away as he boarded the ship.

Oh poor Balthier! Since the beginning, he has been afraid of Fran leaving him and now it’s finally come true. But I like how she left a scar in his flesh and... I want to say that it seems his sense of freedom or sense of his Balthier-self has now been ‘scarred’. The fact that he momentarily compares himself to Ffamran is significant, and suggests to me that among other things, Fran was a huge reason why he was able to separate himself from his former self and pursue this new pirating lifestyle. Now that she's gone, I would assume he feels very unstable and insecure as her presence had a great impact on him, her abandonment would have an even greater one.

It is for this reason that I personally feel the ending of this chapter was a /little/ bit rushed. The beautiful and delicate scene you had created between Balthier and Fran by the fountain was so deeply explored, finely detailed, and very poignant. I feel that something as big as her sudden outburst and abandonment creates such a stark contrast to the events of the previous night, and it should have been explored to a greater extent than Balthier's simple "What was done, was done" after a heartbreaking realization that "he would likely never see her again." (I know he's trying to be tough but he tends to bend the rules a bit whenever it comes to Fran anyway.) It just seems like he’s given up too quickly after all these past chapters of him going nearly paranoid that Fran would leave him. However, I am willing to admit that my opinion on this is probably heavily biased by my love of the BalFran pairing and that this chapter was absolutely perfect .

I hope we get to see how Fran’s brief (hopefully, for the poor boy’s sake) absence will affect him, particularly if it has any affect on his self-identity issues or maturity/self-reliance, as he still seems a bit boyish than in the game.

(Haha, I am very relieved you’ve given me the clearance on long babbling reviewing ))

Oh I was about to stop for the day, truly! But a sneak peak at your author's note.. and how can I refuse a revisit from Anna? )

The abundance of flirtatious exchanges was a nice escape from the madness, misery, and desperation that’s been recently surrounding Ffamran. It’s the first time we see him act this way and I’m glad that it’s with a girl like Anna, quite ladylike and a sweetheart. I do hope she reappears again.

I found it interesting that what I assume to be Ffamran’s second kiss ever (I adore his anti-social characterization) came off, at least to me, less a means of releasing primitive lust or teenage curiosity, but rather, it seemed to be more so one of the defining moments underlining the boundaries of his dual personality. The fact that he felt it ‘was not but should be Ffamran’s kiss’ and felt like “a passive participant within his body, a spectator watching his life and his choices slowly taken from him” colors Ffamran as a boy who has become unfortunately too wrapped up in understanding himself that he can’t enjoy innocent, mundane pleasures – something that would presumably escalate in the coming days before his bold escape/definitive rebellion. I like to think that is the reason why “He wanted to hold onto this moment, as he somehow knew that he would never have another like it.”

I am terribly sorry for this long review. I tend to babble endlessly about something I really like even if it is completely pointless and bores. (Probably explains why I’ve taken such a liking to Anna ;))

I really should stop this unusual (at least in recent memory) rampant streak of reading and return to my studies, but there’s an addictive quality to this story that I easily give into the temptation of looking at the world through Balthier’s ever entertaining perspective.

My favorite moment has to be Fran’s comment: ‘I was once Viera, Balthier, always I hear the words you do not say.’ Although the detailed account of Balthier’s allergy woes comes very close.

(I accidently pressed submit for my Chapter 13 review and didn't get to complete it):

Loved the deeper exploration into Fran and Balthier's relationship in this chapter. The line: "he did not own the words that could explain to her his feelings" nearly broke my heart. I really like the ambiguity of their relationship; balanced between being professional, unromantic, and purely platonic, and yet they complete each other so well that you can't help but wonder (and hope) if there's more to it.

"..while the tailor himself hovered close by expectantly, as tailors generally did whenever Balthier was around." - was terribly amusing.

As for this chapter, I particularly enjoyed the fight that was “too undignified to describe in full” and Balthier’s high class upbringing clashing with Raz and Jules. It was a very entertaining and fun chapter to read, to say the least.

Haha the notion of the fired up Moogles in the Lhusu Mines was hilarious.