LookingForDroids, 2021-02-14 [original]

Oh man. This is bleak and sad, and a great portrait of Terra when she’s at a loss and drifting, before she finds purpose again – and I love that Strago, for all his cantankerous despair, is the one who gives it to her. I also love how much light this shines on how he fell into Kefka’s doomsday cult. He’s not there yet, but you can see the seeds of it starting to grow in how broken he is by losing Relm. And I think my favorite thing about this is that even though Strago is driven by hopelessness and Terra’s just tired, he’s one of the few who ever asks her what she wants and stands by her choice. He hears “I don’t want to do it,” and instead of telling her not to give up, he tells her, in his gruff way, “Then don’t,” and in the long run that leads her to exactly what she needs to find herself again. I love that. ❤

azurefishnets, 2021-02-15 [original]

Ohhh, this is so bittersweet but such a wonderful look into that year and what must have been happening in all that time...Terra dodging opportunistic bums in pubs, Strago so bitter... and he tries to steer her and that's really Strago at the heart of him, isn't it?

“Mobliz, eventually,” he said. “Awful place. Full of children, all crying and running about like dogs – can’t stand them.” Strago, you liar. Although I think you might have been talking about the dogs, although Terra didn't get it!

I feel for Terra's social anxiety there, about her feeling as though the other members of the group were mere acquaintances...as a social anxiety sufferer myself, I get it. Boy do I! But kudos to her for trying, and kudos to Strago for letting her be herself rather than trying to convince her to go against her needs at this point. I shudder to think what these two broken souls would have made of this journey at this point...lot of lessons ahead for both of them. (As an aside, LOOK, I only said no to Banon those three times because I wanted the Genji Glove, OK. Stop looking at my save games.)

...The two of them who had happened to meet were a scared, hesitant girl and a desperate, tired old man. Yeah. Yeah...this is a bad pair to meet at this particular time in their lives but man it makes for a satisfying fic on the nature of responsibility, desperation, and the bitterness of change. It was so very enjoyable to read and I truly enjoyed seeing these two put together for such a bittersweet moment at the end of the world. Thank you for gifting it to us all!

laughingpineapple, 2021-02-19 [original]

This is intensely true and canon... how I love to find the perfect missing moment, deeply rooted in both characters, enriching them both, adding so much without taking away... wonderful wonderful scene. Terra's social anxiety is perfect for her, I love how you described it for her, how she still pushes forward, and Strago's peculiar grump, and both knowing they're not leaders... can't (and shouldn't) push themselves nor certainly each other to the front, but they can help each other a little bit, nudging Terra toward Mobliz, even just wishing Strago good luck in his ill-fated search... "a scared, hesitant girl and a desperate, tired old man" indeed. How absolutely wonderful! Love this for them, love this fic lots