Another idea strikes! Actually, I've always wanted to write something about Irvine, because he is special and I love snipers. So here's my twist on Irvine's character and what he goes through during the game. And seeing as that this is a fanfiction, I am going to take liberties and change some dialogue and scenes from the game, although I will try to stick to the canon plot as close as possible.

Disclaimer:
I own a greatest hits copy of Final Fantasy VIII and a piano collections score book. That's it.

Finally, I was able to get out and away from this suffocating place. An order came for me this morning, stating that I was to follow a group of SeeDs from Balamb Garden on their next mission to Deling City. At first I was confused, being that I actually wasn't a SeeD myself since I hadn't taken the field exam at Balamb last time around. But the client asked for the best sharpshooter of Garden, and well, here I am.

So, who exactly am I? The name's Irvine Kinneas, seventeen years old, six feet tall, born on November 24, blood type A, sharpshooter, and currently single. Any ladies interested yet? Hah, I'm just joking around. Before his death, my father told me to always be courteous and respectful to women, and I have been nothing less. I tip my hat as a small greeting, flash a smile when I'm too lazy to do the former, and have short, polite conversations about their day and about the weather. Apparently to everyone else, they see these as a sign of flirting and many have labeled me as a player. C'mon, how am I a player when I never even asked a girl out on a date and never even touched them?

And if people weren't already wary about me because of my 'flirtatious' personality, they definitely took note of my personality. Growing up in a school used to raise mercenaries, you'd think everyone would be serious, quiet, and a perfectionist. Well, they are, except for yours truly. I'm generally laid-back, good natured, charming, and optimistic. These are all qualities that everyone else here in Garden labeled me as, and I'm alright with that as long as I never turn into the 'perfect killing machine' that everyone else is intent on becoming. That's one reason why I started to dislike this place. Everyone's hell-bent on becoming a perfect something. A perfect hacker, a perfect swordsman, a perfect magic caster. A perfect destroyer. And while everyone else is focused on how they can better their abilities tomorrow, I like to think about the good times we can experience today and reflect on it later in the future.

That's another quirk about me, I seem to remember everything. Students and teachers kinda freaked when they found out I had a photographic memory, so I'd be able to ace written exams after reading textbooks once and remember the locations of targets the sniping class was supposed to shoot at after seeing a diagram only one time. I also remembered personal information about my friends, like which girl they had an interest in and some other embarrassing facts they confessed when they weren't in a right state of mind. All of them swear by Cerberus that they never told me all the things I knew about them, but I remember everything. I can tell you the exact location of where we were, what we were wearing, even the number of zits on their faces as we talked with each other. I remembered everything just fine, it's everyone else that forgot. They forgot how we met to become friends, forgot how we fooled around with practice weapons and almost set the training center on fire, and forgot the carefree times of their younger selves when we first got enrolled.

That scared me to Ifrit's hell. Nobody remembered anything about their past, it was only me who remembered everything. And hell if I was going to forget my past, to the time before I came to Garden, to the time that I feel like were the happiest days of my life, as cliché as it sounds.

And so here I am, lying down on the lawn outside the main entrance to Galbadia Garden, waiting for the moment I'm called to meet the Balamb team so I can try to get out of here, a place where everyone turns into machines with no memories, as soon as possible. I spot a small yellow butterfly flying towards me in the distance, and I smile as it reminds me of the kids I used to live with, especially her.

"It's a gift from the faeries!"

"This is your home from now on, son."

"Irvy, wanna play?"

"Yoooooo!! Kids aren't suppose'ta play with fireworks! I'm tell-ing!! I'm gonna tell on yoo!!"

"Let's race down to the ocean!"

"CRY-BABY-ZE-ELL!!"

"Hey Irvy, let's play ball!"

"…Sis Elle…"

"Ooh, the first star! Make a wish Irvy!"

"Guys, stop fighting with each other! I'm gonna tell Matron!"

"I don't want you to leave Irvy!"

"You'll grow up into a fine young man."

Good times, but unfortunately, they don't last forever. I raised a finger to let the butterfly land on my finger, so fragile and innocent. I wonder how everyone's doing, if they have nice families, if they get into fights with their parents, if they lead normal lives unlike mine. And no matter how much I want to see everyone again, I know I'll never be able to. Last to go to the orphanage and the first to leave, I didn't get to find out where everyone else went.

"Kinneas! Irvine Kinneas!"

Well, looks like that's my call. I shot the butterfly with my imaginary handgun, sending it flying away to who knows where. I thought I should make myself a bit more presentable, seeing as I was lying down in the grass for a while, so I dusted off my coat, adjusted my hat, picked up my Valiant, and turned around to head towards Martine, Galbadia Garden's headmaster. But then I saw the Balamb team, and I had to walk in front of them twice to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. They were looking at me weirdly, probably because I didn't make a proper introduction and didn't salute to them, but I couldn't give a chocobo's arse. Almost everyone was here, a stunning blonde female with clear blue eyes, another blonde with more spunk, a brunette who looked indifferent, and her.

Martine ignored me and addressed their leader, "This is Irvine Kinneas. He will be your sharpshooter. Leave whenever you're ready. Failure is not an option." After a salute, he got into his jeep back towards Garden. Pretentious bastard, can't even walk by himself thirty yards outside of Garden without showing his status and power. Ifrit's hell if I cared anymore. I was in Siren's heaven to be able to leave Galbadia Garden and rejoin everyone from my past, my family.

With a grin, I turned towards Garden and held out my hand like a gun. "Bang!"

And the intro is done! Sorry it's a bit short, but it's a start.