New story!
So, some preface: I'd spent a big chunk of the last year-plus watching Chuggaconroy work his way through this game. That was my first, and thus far only, real exposure to the series. The idea for this story has been stewing in my brain matter since the start of the year. And now with a trailer for the third game being revealed... it is time.
If you're familiar with my other stories, the theme of snapping canon's neck and tossing it into a ditch shall be alive and well here.
For those not familiar with my writings, more extensive author's notes will be at the bottom.
Patience had never been a strong suit of hers. All the more apparent given the lack of scenery. For sure the ocean of clouds lain out in all directions made for a wondrous vista, but even this became mundane when you spent weeks living on it.
Her amber eyes continued staring at the patch of clouds off the side of their vessel. For probably the fifth time in the last two minutes her bare hand reached out, grasping the length of cord leading down beneath the cloud sea. A cat-like smile graced her features, the feel of motion through the cable reassuring.
The wedge shaped ears perched atop her head perked and swiveled at the sound of something massive shifting behind her.
"So, Nia, is my boy holding up well?"
The Gormotti girl didn't bother turning to the speaker, the old goat knew he had her attention. Loosing an amused huff, Nia replied, "He's keeping himself busy; lots of small movements, probably found something good down there."
A large shadow loomed over the girl, Nia paying it little mind as she focused on the cord's every twitch and pull. A steady stream of ether and her natural affinity for water allowed her to separate the flow of the cloud sea from the labors of their resident diver.
The gravely voice from earlier, now closer than before, spoke up, "Already? He's certainly become adept as of late."
Rolling off her belly and sitting cross-legged, Nia fixed the old man with a smirk. "Is that a hint of worry I hear?"
The wide face of the ancient titan broke out its best appropriation of a frown, his sharpened teeth still visible through barely closed lips. "Mouthy lass as always. And you're certainly one to talk, just how long have you been glaring the cloud sea into submission?"
Nia laughed in turn, rocking back a bit with her hands wrapped around her sandals and toes. Any other time she may have been mortified by the implications, but getting a rise out of Azurda was just too much of a treat.
The ground beneath the Gormotti girl quaked in time with a deep growl from the draconic titan. Another one of the daily quirks of having your surrogate grandpa serve as transport and domicile.
Azurda's long neck curved downwards, his one mighty horn brushing against the rough hide of his shoulder to scratch a pesky itch. Nia rolled fully onto her back, her arms stretched up towards the open sky. The long sleeves of her saffron jacket held snug to her extended limbs, the open front pooled around her sides, exposing the white tank top beneath.
"You can shelve a bit of that concern," Nia said, staring up at the midday sky. Azurda's body shifted as the titan raised his head into view, his moss like hair bristling in the breeze. "It's more than just you lookin' out for him, you don't have to shoulder all the worry. The stress can't be good for you, old timer."
An indignant huff spilled free, the old titan rolling his entire head along with his eyes. Nia's grin was impossibly pleased.
A beat of silence was all Azurda could muster before his own throaty chuckles softly rocked his frame. Really, no one could resist Nia's mirth for long. "Hmph, so you're saying I can trust a fair share of the burden on you two?"
With impeccable timing, a deep snore drifted from the cylindrical hut perched further up Azurda's back. The old long-neck craned his skull around over the small dwelling, flat eyes snapping from the source of snores to the smiling cat girl in a repeating pattern.
The bulky four-legged form, with white fur and dark stripes, snoozed through the exchange.
"Well, I can take on a bit of his share, I suppose." Azurda sighed at Nia's admission, a smile tugging at his lips regardless. Good mood carrying, the young Gormotti leaned over to take hold of the cable again.
Nia's ears stood straight, Azurda visibly alarmed at the sight. The line was jerking harshly.
Shooting to her feet, Nia traced the cord to the small crane near the base of Azurda's back. She scrambled up to the control console in two seconds flat, driving the big red lever into the "retract" position. The old machine coughed, gave a brief pause, and then spun up the line at a smooth, even pace.
Nia wrung her hands together. It was better than biting her nails. Her gaze was fixed on the point where the cable dipped into the clouds, anticipation building with every second.
The girl suppressed a jolt as a rigid mass broke through the white surface. The honest-to-God treasure chest pulled a smidge up Azurda's flank before Nia threw the crane into "locked" position. At once she descended towards the large container.
"My Lady," yawned a voice from the hut, its tone inquisitive. Nia paid it little mind as she hustled about the chest, securing the goods whilst looking for their absent fourth. She didn't have to wait long.
A bulbous helmet, deep blue in hue with accents of gold, rose up from the depths. The bulky diving suit covered the surfacing figure in its entirety, a necessity for one delving the deepest parts of the cloud sea. The blue clad diver hoisted himself atop the floating titan, aided by a quick pitch of Azurda's frame.
Off near the dwelling, a certain four-legged layabout toppled at the unexpected movement.
Nia hopped back to the crane, throwing the switch that began a much slower recall of the line. The boy in blue strode alongside the dragging chest, his helmet's circular viewport sweeping the weathered surface for imperfections.
The crane slowed to a stop, the blue diver walking past as he snapped the release on his helmet. Brown lockes and sunkissed eyes revealed themselves, the young man throwing his head back as he took a loud, cleansing breath.
"This is it," the boy called, spirits high, "got a good feeling about this haul. We'll have it easy for a little while, at least." He stepped past the old crane, ignoring Nia's dismissive snort.
As the blue diver made for the cylindrical hut, he passed the now seated figure of a white tiger. The pale beast beheld the boy with azure eyes, its gaze tracking his approach.
Once within arms reach, the young man pressed a palm down onto the tiger's head. The rough petting that followed could almost be considered an act of violence. You wouldn't think it from watching the big cat himself, his form nearly sagging as he pressed further against the invasive hand, a pleased growl escaping his throat.
The affection was cut off in an instant, the lad chucking as he continued past. The tiger was not pleased.
"Master Rex," the striped cat complained, staring at the boy's back. A lithe form then crashed into the tiger's side.
"Save your breath Dromarch," Nia chirped, draping herself over him, "not like pleading's managed to change much thus far."
The striped beast, Dromarch, plopped a paw over his face. "Your words prove true for now, My Lady. Still, I long for he day when I am not approached as a common house pet."
Nia swiftly reached up to scratch the big cat behind the left ear. "I think a good first step would be building up some degree of resistance."
Dromarch could only offer a weak, "How mortifying," as he settled in place, eyes slid shut and what passed as a smile pulling at his features.
Azurda's voice toned in from above, "I don't see the bother in a friendly scratch now and then. There are all kinds of hard to reach spots that only Rex can get to."
Rex balked, pausing halfway into the hut, "You really have no shame at all, do you Gramps?"
"Bout as much as you do respect for your elders."
Unable to deny the counter, Rex curled in on himself, lurching into the dwelling with pained movements and sharp hissing. The others collectively rolled their eyes at the dramatic display, Nia tossing out a boo or two.
After a moment of rummaging, the boy returned with a long prybar clenched in both hands. He'd removed the top piece of his diving suit, revealing the teal, sleeveless tunic beneath.
"This could be the big one," said Rex, plodding towards the chest in his plate boots and leggings, "got a real good feeling here!"
Rolling her eyes, Nia intoned, "Isn't that what you just said five minutes ago? The same thing you've said about the last… three salvages or so?" Both Azurda and Dromarch nodded in accordance.
Reaching the decayed chest, Rex jammed the edge of the prybar into the opening gap. "And not one dud in the lot," the boy groaned out as he struggled against the ancient latch, "little bit – hrrk – of optimism – hrrmmm – never hurts!"
By now Rex had practically perched himself atop the metal rod, both palms pressed over the top and his feet off the ground. Dromarch made his way over to offer aid as their titan vessel snorted at the display. Nia stood back with arms crossed, waiting for the inevitable comedy.
As soon as Dromarch placed his paws upon Rex's shoulders, the decrepit lock snapped free, the chest flipping open. Both boy and cat fell back onto the "deck" of the "ship." They fell back considerably more so as the chest dropped free of the cable, clattering to the floor.
And then the crustacean jumped out of the box.
Crustips weren't an uncommon encounter for salvagers. In fact the aggressive, lobster-like creatures were a large reason most salvagers were encouraged to have some level of combat prowess. The damn things often grew to the size of large dogs and their broad pincers have been known to crack stone.
The specimen scuttling into place on Gramp's back was easily the size of a small horse. Rex was in shock; a good deal was marveling at the sheer scale of the thing, but he was equally trying to puzzle out how this monster shimmied its way into a container half its size.
Dromarch, a bit quicker on the draw, snatched up the back of Rex's top in his teeth. The tiger bounced back, taking the young salvager with him. The aggravated crustip slammed down with both pincers, just missing Rex's legs.
"Sorry pal, consider this an eviction notice!"
The crustip poised upwards, raising its claws over its head as Nia came down with a flying kick, striking the enemy's guard like a cannonball. Though her size eights managed to rock the creature back a step, its four legs found swift purchase.
Nia went airborne, flipping over twice as the crustip launched her away. The aggressive monster charged forward, pincers snapping rapidly. Dromarch cried out for his mistress, releasing his hold on Rex.
The boy in blue shot into motion as soon as he hit the ground, moving in at a dead sprint. He slid across Azurda's back as Nia sailed overhead, the two passing closely.
A pink light flared from Nia's chest, shining clear through her pale undershirt. An equal radiance burned in Rex's right hand, his fingers closing over the growing shaft of cyan light. A lance of liquid burst from the top of the salvagers fist, roughly the length of a sword. The beam of light Rex held condensed into a curved blade, its surface mirroring the rippling qualities of water.
The charging crustip, unperturbed by the bright display, sent its snapping claw towards the approaching human. Rex lashed out in an upward arc, batting the threatening limb skyward.
This clash sent the crustip reeling, a pained screech ripped from its shifting mandibles. A sizable trench had been torn right through the center of the pincer, the wound bleeding profusely. Rex swung back into a ready stance, water blade held high.
Dromarch approached from the boy's rear, his posture low, heated growls emanating as he prepared to stalk towards the flank. A set of fingers tracing long trails across his upper back and neck startled the tiger to a halt, teal eyes jerking up as Nia strode past.
"My Lady-"
Nia gave a swift twap to the tip of Dromarch's nose, ending any form of protest. "Take a break Dromarch, you can leave this one to us."
The Gormotti girl stepped up to Rex's side. Her silver hair, once shoulder length, reached down to her shins, passed the high ends of her grey pants in two thick tails. Her cat like ears stood sharp atop her head, now twice as tall and accented by steel wedges at their base. A shining gem sat high on her chest, just above her modest bust, its rose light constant and warm.
Wrath rekindled, the crustip stomped forward. Rex juked to the left, Nia twirling off to the right. As the crustip rushed by, Nia swung out an arm in a backhanded strike. Rather than make contact, a shot of water condensed out of the air, following the path of the cat girl's swing.
The sudden stream slammed the crustacean right in the face, throwing off its advance. Rex came in from the right, a quick slash opening up one of its back legs. The monster fell in a heap, Azurda twitching at the impact.
Locking eyes with Nia over the downed crustip, Rex observed, "Just a partial transformation?"
The cat girl scoffed, "For one little lobster? What happened to all that optimism from earlier?"
The monster attempted to stand, slipping back to the ground as it put too much strain on its injured leg.
"Nothing little about that lobster, just look at the size of its claws!"
"I'm more concerned with how much meat we'll get out of it. Might actually manage to satisfy Dromarch's pit of a stomach."
Any thoughts of defending his character that may have passed Dromarch's mind were quickly shunted out by the promise of fresh shellfish. "Master Rex," the tiger intoned through drooling chops, "may I implore you to finish this quickly?"
The crustip found its second/third wind, strafing swiftly in Rex's direction. The boy hopped back as the monster spun around, sweeping passed his front with both claws. As Rex raised his sword, the sunlight glimmering off its flowing surface, the crustip opened its uninjured pincer.
A jet of water blasted Rex. Quick reflexes had the shot glance off his shoulder, the graze damn near dislocating his arm and leaving an angry bruise. The young salvager rolled across the deck, moving with the force of impact.
Azurda loosed a tense groan as he gave a strong jerk, his entire body tilting to the side. His three regular riders reacted swiftly, maintaining their balance for the most part. Dromarch fell to his belly for an instance before scrambling back to his feet.
The crustip lost footing completely, rolling across Azurda's back, just catching itself before toppling into the cloud sea. Hissing at the pain pulsing through his upper arm, Rex added another headache to the growing list as the sound of all their loose belongings banging around the hut reached his ears.
Nia slid in beside Rex, her palms clasped over his struck shoulder. The painful contact lasted less than a second before cool relief flowed across his arm. "Azurda," the cat girl shouted, "I'll be expecting payment for any of my things you broke just now!"
"I wouldn't have to interfere if you two were taking this seriously."
A gel-like substance covered Rex's injury, molded and spread by Nia's palms. The liquid glowed a ghostly blue, vapor misting off its surface. Rex and Nia rose to stand, the former with a soft smile in place.
"Thanks Nia, can't even feel it anymore."
"Don't sell me short like that, that little welt doesn't even exist anymore."
The crustip was already on them, bulbous claw crashing down in a hammer blow on the boy. The chitinous limb struck hard then bounced promptly off the dome of glistening hexagons centimeters from Rex's skull. A splash of fluid burst from where the barrier was hit, Nia's free hand extended to hold the shield in place.
Rex, not even turned to regard the enemy until now, gave a confident smirk. "Come on then," he hefted the azure blade, "let's get this wrapped up already."
Stepping forward, the blue garbed boy sent a heavy downward slash towards the dazed monster. The meter of space between was bridged by a literal slashing wave, the arcing blade of water cutting into the armored form with a steaming hiss.
The overgrown shellfish recovered quickly, raising an opened pincer for another water blast. Nia flew down from above, landing on the outstretched claw with both feet. The crustip's wounded claw shot towards the cat girl in a powerful straight. Nia was a hair faster, lunging over the monster's head, vaulting off its skull with both hands.
Rex advanced, rotating to build momentum. The enemy jostled, his next strike caught the crustacean right across the arm. Its already gouged pincer went sailing into the cloud sea, the monster flailing its remaining arm in an absolute frenzy, sprays of water bursting from its snapping claw.
A stray blast caught Azurda in the side of the head, the titan's body rolling sideways as he flinched.
The disarmed crustip was in far too much pain to check its balance. This was exacerbated when Nia drove her body into its two left legs, sliding through atop a swift torrent. The monstrous lobster landed on its side, its sole arm having to reach across its front to brace against the floor.
Sputtering out a few curses, Azurda finished with a tired, "Finish this up quickly, will you?"
"You got it Gramps!" The crustip only caught a glimpse of Rex as the boy sailed through the air, flipping forward in one swift rotation. His blade, gripped in both hands, followed this motion. As Rex landed he brought the sword down in a mighty overhead smash. The monster was granted a dull, sudden ache which faded fast to darkness, its armor shattered and skull caved in.
Rex remained ready, his stance a low crouch as he hefted his blade from the crustacean's head. Nia stayed ready to pounce nearby, her posture down almost on all fours. Though he'd yet to really contribute, Dromarch sat in a similar position towards the base of Azurda's neck, close to the hut.
It was the titan himself who sounded the all clear, releasing a puff of air. Rex stood up straight, wriggling the tension out of each limb in turn, his sword dismissed in a burst of bubbles. He'd just started giving his neck a few rolls when Nia stepped in beside him, announcing herself with a soft whap to the top of his head.
"Hey now! What was that for?"
Nia grinned, reaching past Rex's flailing arms to start messing with his hair, "Just setting the tone."
The pair got into a little brawl, the Gormotti girl assaulting the salvager's scalp and ears as he made fruitless attempts to defend himself. Azurda chortled a bit before turning forward, surveying the horizon.
"My Lady, Master Rex…" The duo paused at the frankly pathetic tone of the speaker. Their gaze found Dromarch, now beside the corpse of the crustip. He was seated before the two in the textbook likeness of a begging hound. Rex would have laughed, albeit lightly, if not for the obvious drool dampening the tiger's lips.
"… please?"
At this moment the boy noticed the large brazier the big cat had somehow hauled over in short order. The presence of that old, enormous cooking pot atop the brazier only confused him more.
"… Yeah, okay." Rex elected not to question anything and headed towards the hut. For whatever reason, Nia started counting down from three.
Azurda called back, "Watch your step Rex."
He was not watching his step. A grime covered cube a little bigger than the boy's fist caught him mid stride, sending him face first into the floor. Azurda tossed aside whatever composure he was holding, thunderous laughter rending the air as his body churned up the cloud sea. Nia didn't hesitate in the slightest to join the old titan's hysterics.
Dromarch was laid out prone, whining at the yet fulfilled promise of a shellfish dinner.
Azurda was in heaven. The old brazier Rex and company used for cooking did wonders for his back, the soothing warmth always a welcome sensation.
Rex perked up as his grandfather let out a long groan. "Doing okay up there Gramps? Want me to move the fire a bit?"
"No, its fine right where it is. The coals are cooling as is."
The young salvager shrugged his shoulders as he went back to his task. Rex held the filth encrusted cube in one hand, the other furiously sawing an old toothbrush across the brackish surface. A wide pail sat just beneath, catching stray bits of grime flaking off the block – making a mess on Gramps' back would lead to an "unfortunate outcome."
"Was that really all there was in that chest," Nia spoke around the chunk of meat she was chewing, her manners on clear display.
Fixing the Gormotti with his flattest expression, Rex returned, "You do know that the meat you're eating, right now, came out of that chest."
Happy sounds rumbled out from Dromarch's throat as he continued to bury his face into the baked shell of the crustip. Rex thought he might have heard a muffled comment on "the true treasure" before diverting his attention back to the defiled cube.
Swallowing her last mouthful, Nia watched her housemate continue brushing at the blackened box. She looked down at the meaty claw she held, the shell cracked open and half its contents already devoured. Beside Rex sat a section of steamed hide barely bigger than the boy's palm, the innards long since licked clean.
"You could stand to eat a little more." Nia's words brought Dromarch to a halt. The white tiger snapped his gaze to the young salvager, glancing back to his nearly finished feast before his features fell.
Rex waved off the concern, "I'm good for now, you guys need more than I do anyway." The blue clad diver didn't even look up, quickly going back to cleaning the cube.
Gramps groaned, anger leaking into his annoyance, "Rex, we've talked about this. You can't just neglect your own well being."
"Not now Gramps, I wanna see if this little guy will be worth anything."
The boy hardly registered the swaying of the ground beneath him. He could not ignore the swell of cloud crashing into him, the meager force surprising enough to put him on his back. A grey scaled wing sunk back under the clouds, Rex going wide eyed as Azurda's face swung into view.
As a titan, even one of a more modest size, Azurda had an innate intimidation factor. For Rex, there was the added effect of this being one of the rare times Gramps showed genuine irritation.
"Pay attention, boy." Rex followed orders to a T, able to do little else but stare up towards his looming guardian.
"There is more to responsibility than working yourself to the bone for the sake of others, even those who are close to you. That you seem unable to even think of how your actions draw the concern of those around you is proof of your lacking maturity!"
Gramps had leaned in so heavily that his horn was practically scraping his back, the titan too angered to realize how uncomfortable this felt. Rex, with Gramps' horn pressed against the top of his scalp, bit back a small whimper.
Neither of them could say when Nia approached, the young Gormotti crouched beside the boy, her arms wrapped lightly around his shoulders. Azurda acknowledged her with a short glance, his eyes softening a moment before refocusing on the stunned salvager.
The titan glared down at his charge, maintaining his stern demeanor as he mused over his next words. Looking into Rex's eyes and seeing the naked shock took a good deal of the heat out of his furnace. Upset as he was, the last thing Azurda wanted was for his grandson to fear him.
Gramps pulled back, releasing a short sigh, "We all appreciate you, there's not a soul here that will say otherwise." Nia gave Rex's shoulders a firm squeeze in confirmation. "But you're far from the only capable one here, you can lean a little more on the rest of us."
Between Nia's reassurance and Gramps' softening tone, Rex was coming out of his stupor. Fear gave way to shame as he realized how he couldn't even say how he'd started on this path. Aunty Corrine and the others back in Fonsette had always been a priority, the bulk of his earnings being sent back home. Having Nia and Dromarch join his crew may have exacerbated things.
He couldn't blame them. He had been the one to discount them, to think of them like children who couldn't take care of themselves. Gramps was right, he'd gotten far too consumed in his "role" as the provider.
"Master Rex."
The boy in question as well as Nia turned to the approaching Dromarch. The rather sullen tiger advanced with his head down, nose hovering just above the deck. This served to push along the cooled section of crustip he'd been eating out of earlier.
"Please, partake of my meal and regain some of your strength."
By now Azurda had leaned back in, three sets of eyes gazing into the shell-turned-bowl. Azurda spoke up first, "… This… already appears rather finished."
Indeed, the section of shellfish which easily matched the size of a large dog looked to have been picked clean of meat. Dromarch flinched back as though insulted, "Not entirely, a morsel still remains."
The striped cat gestured with his paw to the edge of the shell closest to Rex. Resting there was a small portion of meat barely larger than Dromarch's nose, just enough to be a mouthful for the sophisticated tiger. Rex could see bits along the outside of the chunk where Dromarch had taken clear bites out of it.
The shadow cast by Azurda's long neck swiftly sailed out of view, the draconic titan dunking his head entirely into the fog ocean.
Nia and Rex couldn't even afford that courtesy, the pair of teens openly bent over in laughter. The slight tremors wracking Gramps' frame said enough about his own state of being. It would seem that, once again, dear old Dromarch had unintentionally cleared the tension.
Not that the tiger was particularly happy about being the butt of the joke.
Still fighting back his chuckles, Rex began groping around for the soiled cube he'd dropped earlier. So wrapped up in the moment were the boy and his crew, none noticed the slight patch of grime that had cracked off the block. As Rex's hand drifted closer, the smooth, unmarked section shined with a crystalline glow.
As soon as the boy's gloved hand made contact with the clean patch, Rex and Nia froze in place. A moment later, a blinding flash overtook the entire area.
The light persisted, accompanied by a continuous twinkling sound Rex could only describe as "sparkling rain." An arm held flush over his eyes, the salvager could do nothing but stand and listen. As the brightness slowly diminished, Rex picked up a distinct noise against the drizzle: the soft padding of bare feet.
At once the glow receded, the light of day almost dim by comparison. Rex lowered his arm, bright spots still swimming in his vision.
"Sorry about that, I suppose awakening makes me rather excitable!"
The girl's voice was spry, full of happy energy. Her red eyes, the first thing Rex could see, were likewise bright and vibrant. Her dark hair framed her face in sharp angles, long tresses brushing flushed cheeks. There was an odd style to it, her black lockes fanning wide – almost twice her slim width – before ending in a line cut below the small of her back.
A silk white garment covered her frame, interlaced with crisscrossing lines of royal blue. Though it reached easily to the girl's knees, the garb parted wide below her belly, a few belt-like straps reaching across the gap like strands in a spiderweb. Through this opening was the bottom half of a dark blue dress worn under the white garb, its hem ending at her upper thighs.
The most obvious of the brunette's physical traits began to shimmer, demanding attention. A crystal orb sat high and centered on the girl's chest, housed within a diamond shaped "podium," its edges coated in gold. The radiant sphere, a core crystal, marked the girl as a Blade.
A freshly birthed Blade, and one that Rex was now the Driver of.
Off to the side, Dromarch slapped a paw over his brow, a resigned groan rumbling from his throat. Nia appeared torn between actual concern and whimsical ponderings on the current situation. Azurda, having un-dunked himself, oversaw the proceedings with the flattest look possible.
The brunette reached out towards Rex, her arm and hand enclosed entirely in pristine bandages. A glance downwards showed similar wrappings covered most of her legs, ending around the shins. The bare skin beneath was purple, pointed black nails crowning every toe.
"My name is Kassandra! I take it you're my new Driver?"
Nia stepped in beside Rex, leaning heavily against the boy's left shoulder. Her eyes were very much fixed on Kassandra's feet. Rex reached out to take the Blade's hand.
A hungry growl issued from Kassandra's stomach, halting the exchange.
"Pardon me, but something does smell rather appetizing."
Not breaking her staring contest with Kassandra's frightening feet, Nia knelt down to scoop an object off of Gramps' back. As she rose back up, her own hand extended past Rex's, offering the reclaimed item: the section of crustip shell with the small chunk of partially bitten meat in the corner.
"It's your lucky day, we still have some left."
Okay, so the obvious alternate universe bits come at us fast. In this world, Nia and Dromarch are Rex's crewmates in place of being members of Torna. On top of that, Rex and Nia serve as Driver and Blade right out the gate. In my own head, I'd say they've been a crew for a little over a year by the point of this chapter's introduction.
I guess the biggest change, to me, is portraying Nia as just genuinely more playful. She has a lot of snark in canon, here I decided to have her come across as more juvenile and a bit of a "trickster" of sorts. It lends to the fact that she's spent a great deal of time around Rex who, himself, is... well, a kid. I also figure she'd be much more open considering she has actual companions, a family, a place she can call home.
Yeah, I wish a lot of good things on Nia.
Dromarch is my goofball. Don't worry, he'll have his moments. I mean, he's a talking tiger, he's made to be awesome.
I want to portray Azurda as a more active individual here. The initial fight with the crustip is more involved just from the fact that there's an entire squad it's contending with, but I didn't want to neglect the fact that the fight literally takes place on Azurda's back. Why wouldn't he just pitch himself a bit to stagger the enemy? Should be a standard maneuver considering how often monsters get dragged up while salvaging in game lore.
The sequence with Azurda chastising Rex gave me some difficulty mostly because we don't really see Gramps shout the boy within the confines of the game's story. Here's where we really establish Azurda as the parental figure, throwing down "advice" out of frustration in seeing someone that he cares about steadily spiraling into bad habits. It also defines where Rex is, seeing himself as the "father" figure who leads the others. I look at it as an extension of his canon investments in Fonsette village: the boy lives on the edge of poverty and still tries to send as much as he can to the folks back home. Having Nia and Dromarch, who he likely met under less than ideal circumstances, present exaggerates his normal tendencies.
Let's end off with the best bit: Kassandra!
Why Kassandra? Why not Kassandra? Really though, its a combination between me liking her design and seeing a lot of fun I could have with a character based around Bad Luck as their motif. And yeah, had to make comments on the feet. Again, Chugga Let's Play.
Some real life news, for anyone who cares, I do plan on actually buying a Switch and marathoning my way through Xenoblade Chronicles from the remastered first through to the third game. Doubt that will really change much with this story aside from adding some more enthusiasm in me writing it.
Alright, one down. Next update: Mar. 25/26