i post about very useless things sometimes

[seventhe]

So! FFVIII fans:

So Laguna's Squall's daddy.

We all know this. You figure it out through the game. My question is, please help me highlight how it is figured out by Squall and Co, with this particular angle: who (else) knows that they are related? Refresh my memory, guys. Variety of topics:

1. In-game hints: flashbacks in Laguna's head (with the corresponding fact that Squall --> Laguna every time); Moombas call Squall "Laguna"; Shumi reference to Laguna; Winhill, Raine, Ellone; Laguna's awkward conversation attempts; ???


2. Raine's grave of course says Raine Loire, so once you know Squall came from Raine, does that count as the giveaway...? ;)


3. Cid and Edea. One might assume they would know, as Squall and Ellone came to them, and then Laguna brought Ellone back to them after she was kidnapped. Can it be argued either way?


4. Ellone. Knows what's up. (When?) did she tell Laguna?


5. Party members. As it's random who gets sent into the past (based on the player's choice of party), who is likely to have figured it out? All of them? None of them?


6. Kiros and Ward.


7. The world. Who else would know? Anyone?
   


8. FANON seems to make it very obvious that Squall, Laguna, and all other main characters are aware of their familial relationship.

Comments

[temples]

The impression I got from the game was that no one had figured it out! Laguna knew -- probably with major prompting from Kiros -- and Kiros and Ward knew, Ellone did, and maybe Cid and Edea, but none of the SeeD kids did. Laguna mentions at the end of the game that he and Squall have a lot of things to talk about, calling Squall "son", and Ellone repeatedly sent Squall back into Laguna in the hope that she could save Raine and rebuild the family, but that's really about it.

I assume there's a point after the game where Laguna and Squall would have had this "you're my son" talk, putting it all out into the open. I don't think it would have occurred to anyone in the main party to even guess, since biological parents are kind of a non-issue with all the others. No one would care that this random president dude kind of looks like Squall, and knew Ellone -- there's nothing else to really connect them, unless they knew that Raine's maiden name was Leonhart (which I think is only a fanon decision, but I'm not entirely sure).

The fact that Squall was Raine's son is even less touched upon. All we factually, canonically know is a) Raine married Laguna Laguna proposed to Raine and Raine took his last name; presumably a wedding happened but we never find out either way, b) Squall is very attached to Ellone, who was adopted by Raine and c) Laguna has Squall's card. The whole "Squall came from Raine and Laguna" is connecting the dots. It's canon by Word of God, yes, but it's never directly said in-game.

[crankyoldman]

Kiros is about the only one that's made an indication of having figured it out, due to a comment he makes to Squall, I assume Laguna then gets a clue through him because he would need a LITTLE help with that.

There is no other indication that ANYONE else knows. But I think making someone Selphie figure it out from flashbacks would be cool.

[wallwalker]

Well, Ward sort of makes a comment about it at the same time, which was amusing ("Ward says, 'Good thing you don't look like your father,'" as I recall,) but it's hard to tell if it was HIM saying it or Kiros changing things in translation.

[aurenare.livejournal.com]

Hi! Not an usual folk here, but saw your question though a friend's page so here I am.

The answer is Kiros and Ward. When you are heading to the Lunatic Pandora at the end of Disc 3, after the briefing with Laguna, you can talk with Kiros and Ward. Ward obviously just say "...." but Kiros translates him for you:

Kiros
"(Ward says...Good thing you don't look like your father.)"

And then when you ask him directly:

*Kiros
"You look very much like your mother."

Hope that help you!

[rosencrantz.livejournal.com]

Game nerdism answer: family members or those close to usually have the triple triad cards. Boy howdy did I love tripe triad. Guess who was holding Squall's card!

Masochistic side note: Edea holds Seifer's card.

[rosencrantz.livejournal.com]

"Tripe triad" - Freudian slip? OR NOT (considering that Quistis has one of the most easy to obtain and awesome TT cards early in the game, and also is the TT Queen?)

[aurenare.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I forgot that at that same point you can play with Laguna to win Squall's card, so Kiros revelation has more depth.

But you are wrong about Seifer's card: Edea doesn't have it -she is the only character that holds her own card-, Cid has it.

[darcenciel.livejournal.com]

I always assumed that Ellone was the one who told basically everyone. She's the only one who has the whole picture - between her basically growing up with Squall and also having that whole time travel thing figured out. Obviously Laguna didn't have a clue, and how did Kiros and Ward find out if Laguna didn't know? So I've thought that Ellone told Cid and Edea, Laguna, and then Laguna told Kiros and Ward. When, I'm not sure. Ellone's in Garden at the very beginning of the game and hasn't been back to Laguna for quite some time, so I'm guessing Laguna doesn't find out until way later in the game, when Ellone goes back to Esthar.

Squall, on the other hand, probably doesn't even begin to start thinking about it until Kiros and Ward make those comments. I always think of it as a post-game thing, when he's gotten less "....." about stuff, has settled down somewhat with a new girlfriend, normalized relations with Esthar, etc. If he doesn't figure it out on his own at some point, I can picture Laguna sitting him down and going "hey, kid, guess what?"

As for the party members, it's hard to say whether they have a clue or not. I always thought Quistis would figure it out on her own, since she had a thing for Squall.

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

I'm not entirely sure that Squall ever figures it out. He's not the most clueful boy in the world, and he seems frankly derisive of President Laguna right until the end.

Ellone was almost certainly there when he was born (or was that while she was in Esthar?) Regardless, her time traveling shows she knows. She most likely told Matron. The question is, actually, who brought Squall and Ellone to the orphanage, since Raine was dead.

Laguna knows. Kiros and Ward must know, the way they defer to Squall when he pulls Rinoa out of the Sorceress Monument.

Beyond them, I have no reason to think anyone does. I don't think there were enough clues in the Winhull segment of the flashbacks to indicate it.

Although someone might suspect after a while, since Laguna looks a lot like him ETA: whatever Ward may think.

Aurenare raises an interesting point: it is quite likely that Laguna did not know about Squall until later. Surely when Ellone went to the orphanage, he eventually located her and found out. There are clearly some ties between Matron and Laguna, since Laguna left Ellone in her care and/or with the SeeDs.

[drakonlily.livejournal.com]

Kiros, for some reason knows EVERYTHING. I have no idea how though. That's always been the mystery to me.

Easy...

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

He's unsent.

Wait, no, wrong universe.

*watches bizarre crossover plot bunny go hopping past*

... FOR THE WIN

[drakonlily.livejournal.com]

You win. At life.