Although the story has ended, the last page has yet to be turned. Below is a collection of miscellaneous sitely things; you might call it an appendix, a reference or acknowledgements, but I prefer the term "epilogue", as it is not simply those bits and pieces without otherwise a place to go, but a conclusion for all that came before.

About

Those who know a bit about my history within our charming little gaming community will probably not be surprised by Shift's existence. I'm a long-standing fan of Squall Leonhart—and now, in my conceit, hope my title has graduated to that of aficionado. (I say this, of course, without any measure of seriousness, as my dedication is merely the realisation of my own perspective on his character, and is subject to debate, if not downright rejection.) Myself an introvert by nature, as well as (and admittedly contradictorily) one not opposed to social interaction, I identified with the aloof anti-hero, and wasn't all that surprised when others had a tough time liking him, a tough time seeing from his point of view. In my Rinoa-esque way, I wanted to save him by pulling his character onto the digital dance floor, so to speak.

Creating Shift allowed me to explore a new venue of understanding. Most of my previous dedications had narrative, informational or academic thrusts; inspired by my friend Todd's more personal and poetic prose, I attempted to break away from my usual shrining methodology and write Shift in a like way.

It was my goal to deconstruct this unusual hero so that others would better understand him, and perhaps, in doing so, inspire a newfound appreciation of his character. If Shift has done that for you, I will have succeeded.

Dedications

Herein lies my dedications, "thank you"'s, shout-outs and other such deserving acknowledgments, if only because I can't let go of a certain delusion I'm harbouring—that being, of course, Shift's status as a book. Without further ado, I'd like give special thanks to:

• Todd, who really is the only reason why this website exists in the first place. After hearing me whine about how I couldn't make a shrine to Squall just because I knew it couldn't possibly compare to the fabulous, already-existing tributes, he took it upon himself to kettobase my ass and offer the suggestion of a couple tribute structured on the classically romantic sonnet poem. Unfortunately, the couple tribute panned out, but this Squall Leonhart dedication—the one dedication I had convinced myself I would never make—was the miraculous outcome, and I thank him for it.
• Victoria, who motivated me with her endless prodding and insatiable curiosity, inspired this layout with her antique-reminiscent graphic style, and lent her valuable opinion whenever requisitioned. She was also the first to completely read through Shift—and somehow without complaint, too. She also made the special banner for Oceanflare.net found at the bottom of this page. Yeah, she's basically the best ever.
• Although they don't know it, Psyche, Lauren and Rb, whose poetry- and lyric-framed one-page tributes and character defenses clearly inspired my own. I'm saddened that such gems as Psyche's Dragon Claw, Lauren's Photograph and Fantasy, and Rb's Free to Fly Tonight no longer exist in the digital realm, and wonder if my tribute may perhaps inspire an amendment of this.
• Stacey Anne and Linh, who, in proving that full-fledged shrines structured on apparently but not truly discontinuous lyrics were possible with awe-inspiring results, unknowingly encouraged me to move beyond a one-page tribute.

Links

those of the past

• Dearest • Ellone Loire by Sarah
• Fragmented • Laguna Loire by Europa
• Gentle Rain • Rain Loire by Saki
• Veracity • Laguna Loire by Alex

those of the future

• Antihero • Squall Leonhart by Stefi
• Eyes On Me • Rinoa Heartilly by Tec
• Final Heaven • Zell Dincht by Nell
• Precious Sting • Quistis Trepe by Nell
• Problematic • Seifer Almasy by Tamisa
• Retrospect • Squall Leonhart by Sarah
• The Roaring Flame • Squall Leonhart by Monique
• Winged Lion • Rinoa and Squall by Salena
• Zealous • Zell Dincht by Emi

shout-outs

 

The above is a hand-picked selection of shrines that just so happen to be my personal favourites. Link exchanges will be considered, but please keep in mind that I am as picky as Laguna is clumsy, and will only link shrines I really like. No harm in of course!

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