wow. it's exactly 3am here. and i finished all 13 chapters in one sitting! (goodluck waking up for work tomorrow.. err later!) anyway, i wanted to, i loved it! everything, the humor in the beginning, the heart aches towards the end... (tho, i thought that tying up rinoa to the bed was errrmm.. and she seems to be always thinking about rape? noh? haha. the rapists with swords... her future husband the rapist.. haha. ).. and the sweet sweet happy ending! i can already see Laguna gloating at Squall about his BRILLIANT plan because he's brilliant! can't help but love Laguna! :) alright, better catch up on my much needed sleep.. thanks for this amazing work! :) and yes, i do agree, FFX is worth playing. FFx-2.. just go to youtube for the happy ending. haha. :)

Love this epic story with an epic ending!

'What? Squall's also in an arranged marriage? So, we really had the odds stacked against us. Maybe, maybe I should have just ran away like Squall did. Wait… Who the hell is he supposed to marry? I'll kill that bitch!'

That last bit had me cackle! It's SO Rinoa to come out with a threat like that.

The little line breaks is really neat. Almost like it's going from scene to scene. Normally, Seifer is always presented as a jerk, but his lines here and the fact that he's the ONLY person to know what is going on is just hilarious.

Again, Squall's scenes always have me going 'Aww' especially as you referred back to the chapter with Rinoa buying him all those black shirts. It's cute to have him make similarities with his shoes.

The ending was just so sweet! I know right down at the end is when they finally really get together, but I love fics with such a huge struggle only to be met with the biggest ease in the end.

Funnily enough, it was this fic that co-inspired the idea of Breaking Through Appearances. I kept thinking about the concept of being with someone and not wanting to be with them at the same time? Like, Rinoa really wants to marry Squall, but she missed so many chances to marry him during this fic. Likewise in BTA, all Squall and Rinoa had to do was realise they were 'Renzokuken' and 'Angel_Wings' and they would have been together sooner. However, they both didn't want to be with Leonhart and Heartilly and so lost many chances to get along and swap details about their hobbies. But of course, what kinda story would that be?

I know at the end it comes down to that, having things happen much sooner if they had the knowledge of who they were marrying. But I think they will appreciate each other more and be more thankful their life wasn't destined with someone other than each other.

Anyway, making this SO long. But this is hands down my ultimate favourite fic on the whole FFnet. Nothing yet has come as close. I've read many a great fics by so many great authors, but I think the concept of this fic and the emotions you put into it was just amazingly done and hence why I've been in love with it since I read it (exactly this time last year btw :P)

I do think this fic could be expanded more, you could delve further into their emotions, and the end could have been elaborated more. But the execution was good enough to make this fic stand out. Oh and the added bonus that this is such a unique fic, I don't think I've ever come across another story like this.

Anyway, now this is really long, but just want to tell you how much I enjoyed reading this and so happy you wrote it. PLEASE consider posting an epilogue. I would love to see some honeymoon scenes. I get a lot of people wanting epilogues for BTA so I know as an author you may feel that it is a closed book and may ruin the flow of each chapter since they follow the first chapter dialogues, but I know myself and many others would love to read something more from you.

-Niqsta

Teehee! Can you keep a secret? XP

Hm, anyway. I really like this chapter. Squall was very sweet and so wounded, I just wanted to grab him and give him a big cuddle.

Gah, I hate you for the way you present Squall. Every time I read this story, I cry to myself because he's so caring, loving and extremely sweet I get a toothache. Then I remember he's not real! Makes a girl despair!

Laguna is just utterly adorkable here! The window scene in particular had me giggling! I just can't get enough of him. But poor Laguna, Squall venting at the end just had me go 'aww'. If only Squall listened, he would have known it was Rinoa!

Lol the line 'She's not marrying me. And I'm not marrying her' really cracks me up. Ah, omnscience.

You know, I've read one too many fics without inner monologues that you're ones at first seemed foreign and frequent. But thinking back to the game, there was a LOT of them and from many different characters. So this only seems natural. Anyway, in short, I do like everyone's take on their whole situation.

Argh, the thing I both love and hate about this entire situation is that one small thing that no one is mentioning that would solve this entire scenario. USE RINOA'S NAME! Lol, of course if they did use her name instead of 'Laguna's marriage thing' then this wouldn't have been a kickass story.

Squall's feelings in this chapter was just so sweet. You depict him perfectly. I could really feel the difficulty in him trying to get his words out, trying to find the right way to make Rinoa listen. Then the part where he becomes delusional was just bonus! His own mind going frantic and haphazard, checking his phone, staying away, questioning whether or not she got his message. Everything was just well planned.

Anyway, on to the next chapter!

Just had a bit of free time so thought I'd come back and review these chapters.

The dream sequences were a nice touch and very realistically portraying the insecure and frantic mind of a person in deep doubt. The scenes weren't overly graphic but you still managed to convey hideous stomach curdling images.

I like how they sort of parallel the dream world of the game, since dreams tend to have an effect on the decisions the characters make. Only here it's Rinoa suffering them.

Loved the chapter!

Awesome story and so sweet especially at the ending. While I find it weird that Squall with some money wired by Ellone could afford a million-Gil car and awesome crib, I smiled when I read that as I found it very funny for Squall to want to impress Rinoa that way!

Good job and hope to read more from you.

Cheers

Keep Writing

Aww Squall talking to Tempest was so sweet, i dunno but i imagined that rainy scene in disk 1 or 2 when the little Squall is calling for Sis and Squall's in the background watching himself.

I thought it was quite cute and i liked how those little kids were in some way mimicking the ff8 gang. I found it hard to pronounce the surnames though, but i do like and use the techniques of spelling things backwards, hence Llauqs and Aonir from Beginning Reality :P

The end scene is always so sad, i like how Rin has these tonnes of thought and emotions coarsing through her. I know a lot of people might think that at that moment she'd have explained everything. But if you put yourself in her shoes, we'd react the same, only thinking about the great conflict that will take place and end up explaining everything haphazardly.

I really want to continue, but its like 1am here and i'm tired! So the rest will have to continue.

As always, love this story!

This was a pretty long chapter, and i guess its because each title is following the points and conversations in the first chapter. Personally i would have split it into two, but i think this way is better since we're getting the actual content of the story instead of 'filler' chapters.

I really cant tell you how much i'm loving Squall in this, i'm getting upset all over again because i know he's just a bunch of pixels. I wish i was in an arranged marriage with the son of the President of Esthar :(

But the portrayal of Squall is just so sweet and caring and you can really feel the love he had for Rinoa.

This is obviously in hindsight, but i cant wait for the penultimate chapter, when squall's epic emotions come out. *tear*

Wow I dont think i'll ever see Seifer and Quistis the same way again, that definately scarred me!

I always wondered how Squall was able to paint griever, i've been paint balling and i can never shoot straight, and they always splatter. Seifer and Squall must be pros.

On with the next chap!

Got to love the irony in this. Both of them fighting to get away from an arranged marriage, little do they know its with each other.

I loved the ball room dance scene. I've seen it be recreated in many fics, but i dont know i dont find yours cliche.

I particularly like how comfortable and affectionate Squall was in the chapter, its clearly visable that he is now in love with Rinoa.

The end scene was really good too, i liked the last line, it was golden.

The only critical note i would have is: i know you like your cars lol, but i would leave all A/Ns at the top or bottom away from the actual story. Yes its so tempting to make direct comments as people read, but trust me, the story flows much more better when reality doesnt come in to play.

Good chap. :)

Oh twisted fate! lol.

I remember the first time i read this and was like "oh no! Its Squall, it's Squall's family, turn up to dinner Squall!"

But i have to say, i use these conventions in my own stories and i love this whole set up that they dont know they're destine for each other.

I wana write more and i wana read more (again) but i'm so tired. So the rest will have to wait.

This fic really is worth the read.

I have to say that i loved Selphie and Seifer's interaction, seifer is so funny in this. I practically LOL'd when she said he was lacking somewhere else.

Good chapter and a good method of developing their feelings for each other.

Although i was curious to know why Rinoa decided to go with the name Caraway and not Heartilly.

On to the next!

This chapter really was 'fun' to read.

I love their growing relationship, and at this stage it was very romantic with the monopoly game and food fight.

But at the same time, i like the way Squall cares about Rinoa's feelings, putting the shirts away, cleaning the place and even putting up with the game purely because she was enjoying it.

And er, Seifer is just nasty, lol.

But i like the contrast between the two couples.

I really like this chapter, i couldn't stop laughing when Rinoa had her inner monologues. Particularly the AA batteries sitting at home.

Not all girls are ditzy about cars though.

Also the shirt part made me laugh, i actually specialise in Design and Technology: Textiles, so when she was going on about colours and different fabrics i was agreeing with her. Its TRUE! There is a major difference between Trabian and Galbadian cotton, honest!