Final Fantasy VIII Part #11 - Part Eleven: Graduation

Part 11: Part Eleven: Graduation

Part Eleven: Graduation

Last time, Selphie broke into our room to stop us from going to sleep.

I think I just want to go to sleep.

The graphics make it hard to see where the top ends and the skirt starts, so it looks like a dress.

: You should get changed, too. We have that party to go to.

If you talk to her again, she's still excited about her new threads.

This is one of our last chances to come in here and look at Squall's roommate's bed. I wonder why they never had us meet the roomie.

Might as well, I guess.

That's the last time we'll ever see Squall in the cadet's uniform.

Thanks, Selphie.

: Alright! Let's go hit the PAAH-TAY!

This party is off the hook. Damn.

Standing around and drinking while waiting to leave. Squall is truly a man after my own heart.

Here comes Zell. You can tell how happy Squall is to see him.

: Heh-heh, I guess we're both SeeDs now, huh?

Yup, we sure are.

I'm sure Squall would shake his hand, if his right wasn't full of his drink. It's delicious, Zell, you should try one.

: Hah, even as a SeeD, you're still the same. Well, that's typical of you.

Bye, Zell.

: Sorry, I...ah... Just remembered something! G-gotta go. See ya!

: Hmmmm... Squall! Hi!

Selphie said earlier that she was the head of the Garden Festival committee, but I don't think there are any other members.

: Please?

It's good manners to help people, even if they did break into your home.

: Sure. You seem to be putting a lot of effort into this.

Yeah, no problem.

: I know we'll be busy with a lot of SeeD stuff, but let's work hard on the Garden Festival, too.

We will not be working hard on the Garden Festival.

Yeah, have fun.

Taking a quick step back, here's what happens if we're a jerk.

I'd love to help, Selphie, but I'm too busy drinking alone.

So she just runs off to ask someone else. This is the boring way to do it.

Whatever we do with Selphie, the game moves into an FMV of the moon.

Oh, a shooting star! Everybody make a wish.

Holy shit, he looks so glassy-eyed here.

Who this?

"Keep your eyes on the moon, fucker."

"Do you even go here?"

Ah, shit, she's coming over here. Quick, look cool.

FMV Focus: Dance with me?

Oh, I'd love to dance with you, but my hands are just full of drink. Ehh, wha'cha gonna do?

FMV Focus: Okay, then...

Fun fact: SeeDs cannot be hypnotised, because of the systematic brain damage the GF causes.

He's still Blind from the exam this afternoon.

Jesus, lady, take a hint.

Now that's just rude.

Having found someone unwilling to dance with her, the girl drags Squall right into the middle of the FMV dance floor.

For this scene, we also have FMV dance music:

I'm so glad I got this shot of Squall looking wasted.

When she stops, he just sort of leans onto her.

And so, they start dancing.

It doesn't go very well.

Squall is distracted by the drink girl.

He probably doesn't need any more.

He insists that he's fine and tries to go get another glass.

She won't let him go.

Really, it's her dancing at this point, and Squall is just also there.

When he tries again, they ram into another couple.

Squall is making the same face I make whenever I realise I'm just doing a play-by-play on an FMV.

After they run into the other couple, Squall starts dancing well. I guess Squall just wanted an excuse to bump into the other guy. Probably his roommate, and Squall's sick of him leaving his magazines all over the place.

When the game goes to this angle, I always look at the couple at the top, even though Squall is right in the middle of the shot.

You can even see them doing more visually interesting stuff, but nope, I'm lookin' at the people on top.

Then the camera zooms and I'm like "what the hell?"

Oh, here's a fun fact: this FMV was remade as a tech demo for the PS2.

Here's another fun fact: the dance sequence has its own page on the FF wiki.

Ooh, fireworks.

While Squall is looking at the fireworks, it seems the girl sees someone over his shoulder.

This screen included because it looks silly.

Having finally set eyes on Zell, the real best-looking guy here, the girl heads off.

And so we're out of the FMV and out of the party.

Here comes Quistis, out of uniform at the formal.

"I mean, except for the parts where you almost knocked the girl over. Those were shit."

Something to note is that Squall tends to pause when talking to Quistis.

They just stand here for a while. It really conveys how uncomfortable the whole conversation is.

He doesn't even look at her.

Quistis's feelings are hurt because Squall is being so shitty.

A lot of people take Squall's behaviour here as whiny or "emo", but I think he's just not comfortable with an instructor coming over to him and being so casual. I don't think he's aware that Quistis has been trying to flirt with him the entire time, either.

: It's kind of awkward when you don't say anything.

Quistis has a little laugh here, probably at the fact that Squall is the one who's really not saying anything - the lulls in the conversation are where his lines should be.

: That's true. I was like that myself.

This is probably an allusion to Quistis's time as a student and SeeD - at 15, she probably wasn't in a class with people her own age, and likely didn't get much as far as socialisation.

: ...Oh, I completely forgot. I wonder what's to become of me? I've come to give you an order.

Oh, so she didn't just come over here to flirt.

: You and I are to go to the 'secret area'. It's where students secretly meet up and talk after curfew.

She came over here to order Squall to take her to make-out point.

: It's inside the training center.

: What do you want to do there?

Everyone knows but you, dude.

I want you to appreciate Squall's body language here. He's not interested in doing things that aren't his job.

Quistis starts laughing at the mere idea of the disciplinary committee disciplining anyone. (Also at Squall's idea that she wants to go to the secret area for real business.)