Let's Play: Final Fantasy VIII - Part Seventy Five

 Part Seventy Four

 Masterpost

 Day Thirty Two: Sweet Dreams Aren't Made of This

 This bloody dog.

Damn, Zell. Baby got back.

 I don't know why it's even in this game.

 It's had absolutely no plot purpose and just randomly shows up in weird places when it's not necessary in order to remind us that it exists.

 I'd make a joke about that applying to the romance too, but that would be too obvious.

 Speaking of, we're going to have to deal with it right now.

 It's not going to be pretty.

 The scenery is, though.

 Zog's left with Faiz for a few moments before Nina shows up, and I'm really concerned that he thinks that he thinks the dog is psychic.

 Although considering how it randomly appears it may very well be.

 Also, it runs off without even a nod from Nina.

 So in the end, the joke's on me.

 At this point, we get to tackle Nina's existential crisis.

 Oh, boy.

 Let me make myself very clear, Nina is not the problem here.

 She comes up with very good reasons to be scared; she's liable to be possessed at any time, Zog is honour bound to fight Sorceresses and she thinks he'll have to kill her.

 No, the problem here is very much Zog. He is absolutely terrible at reassuring people.

 His first gem is this:

 Following this?

 "You can be like her."

 Of course, my immediate reaction was: Edea is the worst possible example! She was possessed! She took over Nina's home country! She tried to kill you! She tried to kill Nina!

 Which, judging by Nina's reaction, is all running running through her head too.

 Zog's reaction? One of his stupid internal monologues, of course! That's exactly what someone in distress needs, a long empty silence in the face of their concerns.

 This is when the whole 'SeeD exists to fight Sorceresses' point is brought up, when Nina breaks Zog out of his reverie.

 His silence led her to deciding that she'd be okay with him killing her.

 It's only after she says this that he says anything that might serve to reassure her.

 Nina brings up the fact that Ultimacea uses her, so killing Nina is the only way to put a stop to Ultimacea if she runs amok in Nina's body.

 Zog has no concrete actual reassurances, just 'I'll find a way'.

 Damnit, Zog, can you not do any better than that?

 Nina isn't convinced and suggests going back to Esthar and being imprisoned until he can find a way to stop her from bein-

 Wait a second.

 Wait a goddamn second.

 Something just occured to me.

Remember this?

 What happened to the magic suppressing bracelet that Nina wanted to use on Edea?

 Why can't they put that on Nina to make sure that Ultimacea can't use her magic if she possesses her, or even might not be able to possess her in the first place.

 Remember, this is Odine technology, it'll probably work.

 Or if it doesn't, at least mention it.

 Anyway, Zog tells her that it'd be pointless because he'd just end up going after her again.

 Hey, crazy idea here. Don't go after her, you fecking boob.

 Nina brings up a promise from near the beginning of this whole debacle which Zog completely forgot and uses the GF as an excuse as to why he forgot.

 Nina then shares a scary dream she had. It's... hang on, I'm gonna write it out word for word.

 "I had a dream. It was a scary dream.

 We make a promise. We promise to see shooting stars together.

 I get dressed up and put on your ring.

 But the thing is, I can't remember where I'm supposed to meet you.

 I start to panic. I really want to see you, Zog, but I don't know where to go.

 I start running through the mountains, the desert, the plains...

 Through Timber, Balamb and Galbadia...

 When I realize I can't run any longer... I ... I just want to see you so badly... So I scream, Zog, where are you!

 Then I woke up. I was crying.

 I'm sorry. You don't have to say anything.

 I just felt like I had to tell you."

This is all in text boxes, by the way.

 Zog feeds her some crap about having not made a promise yet, and that's why she couldn't find him in her dream, and she buys it. Which I find baffling because dream!Nina had totally made a promise with dream!Zog, so he's clearly talking out of his incredibly flat arse.

 After this, they make a promise to meet at this place if they get separated.

 Then Zell pops in and tells them that they've got a radio signal from Esthar's presidential palace (I'm still not sure why anyone has equipment capable of that after two decades) about a plan to stop Ultimacea and how they want to hire SeeD to execute it.

 Zell brings up the possibility that it may be a trap to get Nina again, but after he mentions that Kiros is the one who sent it, Zog's decided that they'll go to Esthar.

 On the way out, Edea is waiting outside the building. Of course, I tried to talk to her, but to no real avail. I just got some crap about Ellone.

 Then when I tried to leave, she cuts me off and decides to talk to me.

 Which I found really annoying.

 So, what did she have to say?

 That she became a Sorceress when she was a child, and then received the powers of a dying Sorceress thirteen years ago who scared the crap out of Zog and co.

 Apparently this is meant to be cause enough to encourage Zog to fight to the end, 'even though it may bring tragedy to others!'

 I really don't know why I ever liked this woman.

 By the way, all that took twenty minutes.

 We'll cover what happened in Esthar, and what the plan is in Part Seventy Six.