Grasping at Shadows [3/5] (Suikoden II, Jowy and the Highlanders)

[puella_nerdii]

Biggest revelation for me in writing this chapter: I really love writing Jillia, and the more I write her, the more she reveals how awesome she is. (I was also excited to get a chance to introduce tiny!Albert, and I think this won't be the last time he pops up, either. D'aww, little precocious redheaded munchkin

Comments

[lindenleaves]

I think this is probably my favorite part of the three. There is definitely a lot of finest-quality AUGH NO STOP going around, especially whenever Jillia appears (I have a huge soft spot for her, but I feel like it's kind of hard to NOT feel bad for someone who grew up with Luca Blight?). And she's all, "Pinning all my hopes on you in 3..." and Jowy's all, "Oh my god you have no idea how much I wish this were not the terrible idea it is," and then pain happens. Lots and lots of pain. Yay? (Was the dance scene a reference to Suikogaiden?)

I love how you slipped a sentence that started with If only Jowy could do what Luca did in there and had Jowy basically not even notice that he just had that thought--it's a lot more dangerous that way. And when he basically says to Marcel, "Well, screw you because I have a new family now, IT'S THE BLIGHTS," and what is wrong with this picture is everything. And you GET it, you get why he would say that! Augh.

I think... you might be making me like him? A little? Again, I can't say I ever harbored active dislike for him, he just left my buttons unpushed, but... hmm.

[puella_nerdii]

I have a huge soft spot for Jillia, too, and it grows even bigger the more time I spend with her. And she's a smart woman, she knows more or less what Jowy's using her for, but she believes in him and wants to help him even if he won't let her in on his plans. Jowy, I think, really really wishes he could have loved her, but the course of action he's chosen makes that Not An Option. Poor babies. (And yeah, the dancing scene is a Suikogaiden shoutout. I really like Suikogaiden, in case that wasn't readily apparent.)

And ahahahaha, I'm so glad you caught that! I was wondering if anyone would. The hardest part about going that deep into enemy territory is not becoming the thing you set out to destroy, and well, I think it's evident that Jowy doesn't entirely succeed at that. (Which is a big part of why I don't think he planned everything out from the beginning a la Light Yagami; his ideas about what he has to do to end the war shift as he spends more time in Highland and finds out more about what's going on.)

Mostly I'm thrilled that I'm making you like Jowy, because it means that I'm doing something right with his story. :D