#but when you live in a place like Sandrock and you have a job like building ya gotta learn to some extent ig

[vani-candy]

since Mitty got a fancy new outfit in the latest comic, i decided to draw up refs for it and a snazzy new work/fighting outfit!!

[gaming-artificer]

I'd like to get this blog started by sharing an aesthetic that I absolutely love, especially in the setting of a game, and one of my favorite games, My Time at Sandrock, which follows it. It's a "post-post-apocalyptic" setting, in which the apocalypse has happened, the world was destroyed or became uninhabitable, but by the time the game (or other media) takes place, people are beginning to get on their feet again. I don't know if there's a specific name for this. I've seen "reclaimed by nature", but while that's often a part of these settings, that the ruins of the world before the apocalypse have been filled with plant and animal life over time, it's not always the case. "Hope punk" is probably the closest.

I'll probably come back to this idea a few times, but for now I'd like to talk about how well I think My Time at Sandrock embodies this aesthetic.

For anyone who hasn't played or heard about the My Time series, they're super chill singleplayer (for now) RPGs where you play as the "builder" for one of the "Alliance of Free Cities" (Portia and Sandrock, in their respective games). They have a vibe very similar to Stardew Valley, where the game is based around days in the calendar year, but you can work at your own pace, build your workshop as you like, complete quests to improve the town, and socialize and form relationships with the NPCs. My Time at Sandrock is one of my favorite games of all time. It's currently my banner image, and I met one of my now best friends during the multiplayer closed beta.

My Time at Sandrock takes place in a frontier town in the Eufala Desert. It's this world's equivalent of a gold rush town, where people flocked to dig up relics and technology from the Old World (the game's term for the civilization who lived before, and caused, the apocalypse). However, most of the town's already scarce natural resources were squandered during this time, and it fell on hard times. Your job as the new Builder is to help the town get back on its feet by helping to build buildings, explore the ruins, defend from monsters alongside the Civil Corps, with the end goal of achieving prosperity for the town, sustainably this time.

The town of Sandrock is built nearby a massive ancient ruin, resembling a shopping mall, called Paradise Lost (a name which I think is referencing the "Paradise Lost" step of the Hero's Journey). This ruin is presumably what a lot of the Ruin Divers were interested in. The game has a cute, cartoony style and I love wandering through the hazardous ruins, fighting cleaning and construction robots, and wondering what they were building before the world was shrouded in darkness.

So, how did that happen?

300ish years before the game takes place, was an era described as the Age of Corruption, when technology had peaked, humans lived the high life, and robots did most physical labor. However, before long was the Day of Calamity, when the technology that the humans had built for war caused chaos and darkness across the world.

For 200 years, humans lived in darkness, mainly underground, under nuclear winter conditions while monsters owned the land above. Finally, a man named Peach built a machine to blow through the clouds, allow sunlight to reach the land, and allow humans to come out from underground and begin to rebuild civilization. This event is commemorated as the Day of the Bright Sun.

The series doesn't give much detail beyond this, but I don't think it should, unless it's the focus of a future game. It's just enough to give context to the settings, as most of their worldbuilding happens in the present, not in the past. Both games take place in a world 100 years and two or three generations after the Day of the Bright Sun. Civilization is being rebuilt, people are prospering, and there is even a religion called the Church of the Light formed around non-violence, cooperation, and opposing the use of Old World technology, as they believe it's dangerous and fear the same end as the Old World had.

Sandrock, though, has gone through this pattern again, in its own way. In their rush to strike it rich on Old World technology, the ruin divers and the city used up all of their natural resources, resulting in the trees all being chopped down, the town's oasis drying up, and the only thing left being the ruins themselves. You, as the town's new builder, are put in the empowering position of lifting up Sandrock from this situation and restoring it to its former glory.

This is the part that I love so much about My Time at Sandrock. The prospect of rebuilding an entire civilization is difficult to achieve as one character. Games like Civilization, RimWorld, and Terra Nil tackle this by making the player essentially omnipotent, giving them control over the whole developing civilization at once (or in Terra Nil's case, with wildly advanced technology). But Sandrock does this differently: By re-creating the reconstruction effort on a smaller scale, with just one town, and placing the player not at the top, in charge of everything, but as the one doing the grunt work to build bridges, buildings, lifts, farms, train tracks, and much more (though some of this has been in the pre-release multiplayer story mode). You slowly get to see this charming frontier town rise back up from the desert. Over the course of the game, you even get things like tourists appearing once you repair the train tracks. It's an absolute joy to watch your hard work come to fruition, and see the town overcome its own mini-apocalypse.

Thanks for reading! This is a topic I've wanted to share for a long time, and I'm glad I finally had the time to do it. I'd highly recommend My Time at Sandrock, especially if you're a fan of games like Stardew Valley, or aesthetics like the one I talked about here It's a super chill game, and I love playing it to relax after a long day of work or college lectures. And, if you want someone to play multiplayer Sandrock with, feel free to message me!

[estirose]

More things I've learned from two in-game weeks of My Time at Sandrock

Yeah, I've made some mistakes.

So, I haven't been charging in as quickly as some players, but I've played some. I've gotten to the stage being destroyed.

Things I've learned:

Storage boxes are as valuable in Sandrock as Portia.

Burgess apparently doesn't complain about you destroying bushes, only trees and cacti. (I have read that he also doesn't care about dead trees, just live ones.) So if you need thick rope for the crane commission, don't do what I did and go crazy trying to get enough plant fiber to make the commission. This will also save you having to pay 200 gols to get into the salvage yard to finish the crane mission because you waited past the first week's free pass.

Once you get the crane mission done, I suggest doing a commission for some gols (actually, I suggest picking them up every day) and then buy yourself the feather duster plans. Also, kick some trees. Kicking trees is fine, and pretty much required to get the feathers unless you feel like going into combat.

Do not pick up any commissions the day you get a letter from Matilda about a good-bye celebration for Mason. I thought that this was a set date (specifically the 2nd Thursday) but it's a few days after you complete the Crane commission. If you have a Commerce Commission, I suggest finishing it up the day you get the letter. Why? Because the next day there's a sandstorm. You'll get some sandstorm gear from Pen, but you still don't want to go out unless you have to (and you'll want to if you have anything on your machines - go pick anything on them up!). The day after that you'll get another main mission.

Craft the feather duster once you've got the feather duster schematic. Be prepared to kick a few trees to get feathers unless you want to fight birds. This is tied into the sandstorm - you'll need the feather duster to dust sand off your machines so they work after it and also occasionally when sand just heaps itself onto your machines.

For Builders coming from Portia: Mining has changed, you get access after you build the crane (you can get the required copper for the crane from recycling scrap you pick up from the scrapyard). Abandoned ruins now have levels and tin does not appear until chapter level 3. Depending on how you want to budget your time, you can either dig out the Abandoned Ruins until you hit level 3 or you can just buy tin from... I think it's Hugo? (No, it's the Eufala salvage shop. You can buy brass bars from Hugo, though.)

If you place 4th or 5th at the end of your first month, Yan will show up at your door and unfavorably compare you to Mi-an. (It's like... dude, I was a little busy trying to save your town from dying - you know, the job you hired me for - stop complaining to me about my workshop reputation!)

[athenagc94]

Just One Thing

With Beta Sandrock keys out, I’m back on my MTAP nonsense. Please, allow me to introduce my next builder - Eden King! Originally, I was gunning to have her marry Dr. Xu, but Oaks kind of snuck up on me and now, here we are. I hope you enjoy. You can also read it here on AO3

~~~~~~~

“When was the last time you had a full night’s sleep?”

Eden didn’t even look up from the monitor as she casually shot back, “When’s the last time you had a full night’s sleep?”

Petra huffed. “Don’t turn the tables on me. I asked you first.” She tried to sound irritated, but Eden heard the smile in her voice. She knew her sleep schedule was as fucked as hers, so kettle meet the pot. She had no right to lecture her. When she didn’t respond, Petra continued, “Why don’t you head out for the night? You’ve already done more than enough and I don’t mind finishing things up.”

“I like helping you.” Eden pressed a few keys on the pad in front of her. “It’s nostalgic, or whatever.”

She hit the enter key and a string of code appeared on the screen. She scrutinized it for patterns, then from those patterns, she picked out the irregularities and jotted them down on her notepad. Hopefully, they’d find something a little more useful this time around. The cooking mechanism they stumbled across last time was nice and all, but if she had to rely on her crumbling furnace for much longer, she was going to yank her hair out. This builder gig was supposed to be easier than her job back in Vega 5, but she might have made a marginal error when she drew that conclusion. Her father's old diagrams left a lot to be desired.

“You came to Portia to recover from your burnout,” she chided, jostling the back of her chair. Eden cut her with a glare, but it lacked its usual sting. “Old tech research isn’t your job anymore.”

“Old habits die hard,” she mumbled. “And then you die.”

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about.” Petra tugged at her chair, pulling her just out of arm’s reach of the keypad. She almost clamored after it, but she resisted that overwhelming urge in favor of preserving some small part of her dignity. “Go home. Or am I going to have to get Phyllis on your ass?”

Eden pouted. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me,” she said, chuckling. “I can literally see the tension building around your shoulders. We both know Phyllis would love to get her hands on you for an acupuncture session.” Eden tried and failed to suppress the paralyzing fear that curled up her spine, stacking right on top of that rock hard stress that had settled in her shoulders. She liked to think she was a practical woman who trusted a vast majority of the advancements in medical sciences. And research did show that acupuncture has a positive impact on things like stress and anxiety ー both things she definitely suffered from.

That being said, fuck needles.

Petra smirked, reading her mind. “Exactly,” she snapped. “So, if you don’t want her using you as a living pin cushion, get out of here. Take the long way home. Get some fresh air. Something to unwind a little so she doesn’t have a reason to.”

“Why do you always have to be right?” Eden sighed, pushing herself out of her chair. She stretched her arms over her head, groaning as her back cracked and popped. “Can’t you just let me self-destruct in peace?”

“It’s part of my job to preserve the relic tech of the Free Cities.” Eden flipped her off and she laughed, a soft sound that reminded her of windchimes. She plopped down in her chair and turned back to the computer, picking up where Eden had left off. “I’ll let you know when I find something on these disks. A couple of days at most. So, I don’t want to see you before then unless it’s over a drink at the Round Table.”

Eden rolled her eyes. “How does Friday sound?”

“Only if you’re buying.”

“Of course,” Eden said as she shrugged on her cardigan. “It’s always on me, isn’t it?”

“Well, you’ve been threatening to get that new shop addition for months now. I think you’re purposely spending all your money on alcohol, so you don’t have to pull the trigger on it,” Petra shot back. She fluttered her lashes at her and quickly added, “I’m merely giving you an excuse to hold off on it for a while longer. That’s all.”

“I’m not afraid to pull the trigger on it,” she countered defensively, pulling the dark knit fabric a little more tightly around her shoulders. “It’s just, you know, this whole thing is only a temporary position. I plan on going back to Vega 5 once I’veー”

“Once the year is up. Yeah, I know what a sabbatical is.”

“Exactly,” Eden said, pulling the door open. The brisk spring air whipped up around her, rustling the dark curls around her jaw. She shivered and closed it a little to stave off the chill. “This is just a little vacation, I’ll be heading right back to continue my ongoing research with the Alliance by next spring. Portia is merely a stepping stone in my ten year plan.”

“That’s what I thought too when I took my internship out here, but here I am, three years later,” Petra said, with a wink. “You’ve only been a few months, but you’ll be surprised to see how quickly Portia grows on you. You’ll see.”

“Whatever you say. I’ll see you later this week.” She threw Portia a mock salute and ducked out into the Central Plaza.

The sun had long since set and if the clock on the old school building was correct (And it should be, she fixed it herself.) then it was far later than she realized. She regarded the stars that dotted the sky. The moon wasn’t out that evening, which only made the stars shine even more brightly in the sky. She smiled to herself. Maybe she would take Petra’s advice and go on a late night stroll ー just because it was such a beautiful night and not because she needed to unwind.

She rubbed her hands together, trying to warm them as she strolled out the city gates. The apple trees that grew along the path outside the city had started to bud with small white flowers, ready to bloom any day now. They filled the air with a sweet scent that reminded her of freshly baked apple pie. Eden stopped in the middle of the trail and took a deep breath. A ghost of a smile tugged at her lips as she basked in the smell and let the wind rustle her hair.

“What’re ya doin?”

Eden started, pressing a palm flat over her heart. It hammered so violently that she feared it would beat straight out of her chest. She glanced up only to find Oaks, the city vagabond, hanging precariously from one of the branches overhead. “By the Light, Oaks,” she breathed, her expression hardening. “You scared the shit out of me.”

He swung his legs up and over the branch, settling in the small nook it provided. “Sorry about that,” he said, chuckling. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look that happy before. It was nice.”

“What’re you even doing out?” She glanced at her watch, swearing. “It’s well past midnight.”

He shrugged, kicking his legs with a childlike glee. “I dunno? Papa Bear doesn’t care what time I make it back these days and sometimes I just like to sit in the trees and listen to the sounds of the forest.” He grinned at her. “You should really try it sometime. I always see you passing through here late at night anyway. Do you want to join me?”

Eden pinched the bridge of her nose. “Join you? Why would I join you? It’s late. I have to get up in the morning and work. You know a job? Like normal people.” A troubled frown tugged at the corners of his mouth and his playful kicking abruptly stopped. Only then did she realize how bad that sounded.

She groaned, scrubbing hard at her face. “I’m sorry, that came out wrong. That’s not what I meant, it’s just...” She trailed off, muffling another groan in her hand. “I don’t know what I meant.”

Maybe Petra was right. Her stress had gotten so out of hand that she was taking it out on Oaks, of all people. She hadn't spent too much time with him, but there was no denying that he was one of the sweetest residents in all of Portia. He loved to make people smile with his antics. He was especially good with the kids. She caught herself watching him dash around the plaza with them, their shrill laughter making her feel some kind of way that was hard to describe. In all, he was a good guy and now, she was screaming at him in the middle of the woods ー just like her father had done to her when he got a little too wound up.

How far she’d fallen.

He tilted his head off to one side and said, “You’re stressed.”

“Yeah,” she managed tightly. “Just a little bit.”

His frown deepened, which looked weird on a face that was always full of smiles. “Well, if that’s all that’s bothering you, I can show you what I do when I’m feeling a little stressed.”

She peered up at him, squinting. What kind of things did he have to be stressed about? As far as she knew, his days were spent wandering the fields with colorful llamas outside her workshop or snooping around the stalls in town. Sometimes, late in the afternoons, she’d catch him whittling while she was out gathering supplies. He always looked so engrossed in his work, but even then, there was a serene aura that surrounded him at all times. Frankly, it wasn’t fair.

But her curiosity got the better of her.

“What do you do when you’re stressed?”

He grinned, radiantly, and said, “Follow me.” He shifted his weight, tumbling to the ground in front of her. She flinched, but he quickly pulled himself up and wiped the dirt from the front of his pants. She never realized how tall he was before now, which was saying something considering she towered over most of Portia’s residents, even Gust. He had her beat by an inch or two, which was something. She didn’t know how old he was, but his broad shoulders and the sharp cut of his jaw suggested he was well into his twenties. She just always assumed he was a lot younger because of how he acted.

Another error. Two months into sabbatical and she was already losing her edge.

“If you liked the smell of the apple blossoms, then I think you’ll like this place just as much, but it’s top secret, you can’t tell anyone.” He leaned in, looking earnest. He smelled vaguely of apples and cinnamon. She furrowed her brow. Was that what she was smelling earlier? “It’ll be our secret. Do you promise?”

Eden sputtered, “I mean, I guess?”

Seemingly satisfied with that response, he took her by the hand and tugged her off the beaten path. Eden stumbled after him, nearly losing her footing on the roots and divots on the forest floor. She’d changed out of her work clothes earlier, before meeting up with Petra, so she wasn’t dressed for trekking through the forest. “Oaks, do you mind slowing down a little, I, uh, ahー”

Her foot caught a particularly vindictive tree root, sending her careening forward. She braced herself for the inevitable impact, but Oaks reacted quickly. He scooped her up, pulling her flush against his chest with one arm. She blinked up at him in surprise, one hand pressed flat against the bare pectoral. His heart thundered under her palm, nearly as fast hers was beating at that moment. This close, she could make out the individual freckles smattered across the bridge of his nose.

Eden suddenly found it very hard to catch her breath.

“My bad.” He pulled away, looking a little sheepish. “I got a little excited.” His hand slipped back around hers and they moved on, albeit a little more slowly. “But we aren’t in a rush. Part of the fun is the journey to get somewhere, am I right?”

“Honestly,” Eden said, smoothing her unruly curls up and out of her eyes. “I’ve never really been a fan of traveling.” That was kind of why she picked Portia for her sabbatical year. It was vaguely familiar from the one or two times she visited as a child with her aunt and uncle. She already had a connection or two with Presley and Isaac, not that she considered them close friends or anything. It seemed like a low maintenance location. Traveling always seemed like an unnecessary risk, but she needed to get away from the bustle of Vega 5 to fully recover from all her, as her therapist put it, issues

“It was never really my speed.”

“Well, with that attitude, you never will,” Oaks said with a chuckle. “Every new place is an adventure if you believe it is.” He gave her another radiant smile. “Take this top secret location for an example, you’ve never seen it before, right?” She nodded. “Well, aside from that little snag earlier, I think I can make it pretty fun for you.”

She snorted. “And how do you reckon that?”

Oaks paused, his nose wrinkling as he considered her question. Eden resisted the urge to roll her eyes. So, he didn’t even know. It shouldn’t have surprised her. After twenty six years. she still didn’t know how to cut loose and have fun. She had the PhD hanging over her desk to prove it.

“Who do you think would win in a fight ー a panbat or an illusion bunny?”

They shared a long look. “What?”

Oaks shrugged. “It’s a question. Which do you think?” He held out his hands, as if he were weighing his options. “On the one hand panbats are small and move faster than the illusion bunnies, but the bunnies have a hat, so it feels like a toss up. I’ve always been curious, but I’ve never been able to come to a decision. You seem smart, so what do you think in your expert opinion?”

Eden bit back a smile. He was too pure for his own good. “You do realize my area of expertise is in relic tech, right?”

Oaks hummed thoughtfully. “In that case, have you considered there are tech versions of panbats?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, that would be…” She trailed off and thought about it. Maybe Oaks was onto something there. A lot of people thought panbats were cute, but the fact remained that they were wild panbats. One couldn’t just pluck one out of the forest and call it a pet. “That would be pretty amazing actually. Do you think someone would invent it so they could keep a versions as a pet without the social repercussions of capturing and domesticating an actual panbat?”

Eden got swept away in their conversation. Every time she hit the proverbial wall, Oaks was right there with another wild idea that kept the momentum going. She had written off when she arrived in Portia. He was a wild child, born and raised in the forest, but he overflowed with new ideas. In Vega 5, Eden was expected to be a cog in the well-oiled machine. Cogs didn’t change. They didn’t question. But here she was, discussing the intricacies of how one would cuddle a panbot model without realizing it was a machine.

It wasn’t even possible.

She’d been in the field long enough to know that, but Oaks made her feel like she could do anything as long as she was willing to put in the effort.

And she wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“And here we are,” Oaks announced with a swipe of his hand. Eden blinked in surprise. They had been walking that whole time, hadn’t they? She didn’t even notice.

They weren’t in the forest anymore, rather, the sloping hills at the foot of the Bassanio Heights. She’d seen it from a distance, but up close, it was absolutely breathtaking. A waterfall rushed over the edge of the cliffside, coating the grass and wildflowers in a soft dew. The flowers looked freshly bloomed and filled the air with a soft floral scent that eased the tension coiling around her shoulders. She always found flowers calming, but there weren’t too many patches of green in Vega 5.

“When I’m a little overwhelmed with everything, I like to come up here and watch the waterfall. The sound is calming to me,” Oaks explained, tugging her closer to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the water. It rushed past, filling the empty air between them with a soothing white noise. The flowers reached her calves in some places. He picked one, pale blue with teardrop shaped petals, and offered it to her. She took it, twirling it sheepishly between her fingers.

“Do you know how to make flower crowns?”

She shook her head. “Do I look like someone who knows how to make flower crowns?”

“Anyone can make flower crowns,” he said with a shrug. “Looks have nothing to do with it. And Molly says that mine are the best in all of Portia.” He plopped down on the ground and plucked a few more. Pink, blue, yellow. His hands moved of their own accord as he expertly wove the stems in and out. “I can show you my secret.” He peered up at her, donning a soft smile that left her chest swelling with a warm glow. He had a dimple on his right cheek. “I mean, if you aren’t too busy with all your real adult work, that is.”

Eden laughed despite herself and took a seat across from him. “You’re a little cheeky,” she said. “I would have never expected that from you.”

“Well, Papa Bear has the best sense of humor. I learned it from him.”

“Naturally.” She regarded her flower fondly, then tucked it behind her ear.

Oaks beamed. “That color looks nice with your hair.” He immediately grabbed a few more of the blue flowers to lace into the crown that was quickly taking shape in his lap. “Molly only likes the pink and yellow flowers when I make them for her, so I rarely get to use the blue ones.”

“Use as many as you want. I’ve never had someone make me a flower crown before.”

“Well, they should,” Oaks said with firm conviction. “They’re scientifically proven to make you happier.”

“Well, I’m going to need to see your research because I’m a little skeptical.”

He presented her with the flower crown, beautifully crafted with blue and yellow. “Let us try our hand at a little experiment,” he said, imitating Merlin’s haughty drawl. He placed the crown on her head, adjusting a few of her curls. He settled back on his knees and regarded her with this fond look on his face. “Perfect.” She cracked a small smile and dipped her head, trying to hide it. “Exhibit A. You’re smiling.”

“Correlation doesn’t equal causation,” Eden countered.

“I don’t know what that means,” Oaks said. “But, I do know that people smile when they’re happy and yours just keeps getting bigger. That has to mean something, right? You normally have such a serious look on your face.” He made a face, furrowing his brow and setting his mouth in a hard line. It was the same look that greeted her when she looked in the mirror every morning. He was spot on. She couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled and burst out of her. “See, and now you’re laughing. That’s not a coral nation or whatever you said.”

“Correlation,” she corrected. “It means a mutual relationship between two things. So, just because we can measure a relationship between those two things, that doesn’t mean one is the cause of the other.” For instance, there was no quantifiable proof that the heat burning at her cheeks had anything to do with Oaks or his close proximity to her at that moment.

None whatsoever.

Still, she cleared her throat and pulled away, just to be safe. “It’s beautiful.” She straightened the flower crown, lingering on the silken petals. “Thank you.”

“I told you I make the best flower crowns.”

“Not so fast there, nature boy.” She wagged her finger at him. “I don’t know if I’ve gathered enough data to draw that conclusion.”

His brow pitched as he considered that. “Well, I can make you another one tomorrow? With more flowers if you’re worried about me not gathering enough before.” he offered after a long moment. Eden tilted her head at him, confused, but he was already moving on. “Or maybe we can go apple picking? I know where to find the really sweet ones.”

“I have a lot of work to do tomorrow,” Eden said. “I have to gather some ore in the mines, Gale wants me to catch him a few fish, and then I’m meeting with the Civil Corps to discuss the bridge construction to Amber Island.” She drafted her mental checklist for everything she still needed to get done and felt the tension pulling taut across her shoulders. There wasn’t enough time in the day to finish everything.

Oaks shrugged. “That’s just three things.”

Her thoughts ground to a halt. “W-What?”

He blinked at her. “That’s just three things,” he reiterated. “I might not be super smart like you, but even I know that’s not that many.”

When he phrased it that way, her to-do list seemed a little less daunting. “Just three things.” She chuckled to herself. “You’re a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for.”

He wheezed and plucked another flower from the field. It was a deep red, almost the same shade as his hair. “Well, if that’s the case, you’d be the first person who thinks so.” The sad resignation in his tone made something inside her ache.

“How about this? While I’m fishing tomorrow, you can hang out with me and show me how to make one of these things.” She pointed to the crown. “I’m pretty handy myself. I might be able to give you a run for your title as the best of the best.”

He grinned. “I like that plan.”

“Me too.”

Oaks hummed contentedly and sprawled out in front of her. He pointed at the sky. “Do you want to hear the stories Papa Bear used to tell me about the stars?” Eden glanced at her watch, the back at Oaks hopeful expression. An hour had already passed, but it certainly didn’t feel like it. She would even be so bold as to say that this little adventure was fun.

He added quickly after a moment, “Or I can walk you home if you want to sleep?”

“This is just one thing.” Eden laid down next to him and smiled at him. He mirrored it. “Tell me a story.”

[emeraldbirdcollector]

Chapter 2 of Alice’s Tale (MTAP prompt, “Alice and Jack on their way to Portia”)

Part two, in which I have made up relationships which probably don’t exist in canon, but aren’t, I don’t think, directly contradicted either. (Sam says she has family in Portia at one point, but we don’t see who it is...but there’s only one person in Portia who really has any family resemblance to Sam and could conceivably be her family, so I ran with it.)

Finally, they made it through the gates, but it was a mile or so down the road before Remi spotted the Alliance flag. Thank Peach, they got too distracted with looting to pursue. Not that it did us a blessed bit of good, but at least there's a place we can regroup. He rode for the camp, and breathed out a great sigh of relief when he saw Captain Parker riding up and down, directing the flow of refugees and retreating Corps members with her usual firm hand. She was one of the few Corps leaders he trusted, and he was glad to see her in charge here.

“Remington!” she called out as he neared. “What's the situation?”

“Not good, Captain. We've got a rout on our hands, and they're rioting through the city.”

She shook her head. “Not good, not good at all. At least that'll keep 'em occupied a bit, maybe get them reckless and drunk. We've got reinforcements on their way from Atara. Too late for today, but if we can regroup before they do, and evacuate as many of the civilians as possible...”

Reinforcements. Finally, some good news. “Speaking of which. Found these two about to be taken to the slave markets in Duvos. Can we find 'em a place to go?”

“Parents?”

He shook his head. “Casualties.”

Her eyes softened. “Poor little mites. We've been directing refugees behind the lines, but...they're just kids. Here.” She tossed him a couple of ration bags. “There's a Church of the Light a few miles down the road. They find homes for orphans, don't they?”

“Might be a bit overwhelmed right now.”

“They might be. But it's the best we can hope for right now. I'm sorry, kids. There's not much I can do for you.”

Alice nodded, clearly trying to keep her chin up. Jack just stared at the horse's neck, unwilling or unable to move or talk.

“Be back by sunrise, Remington. As rested as you can be. We're going to need all the soldiers we can get.”

“Yes, ma'am.” He saluted, and spurred his horse further down the path, following the stream of refugees fleeing south.

They had ridden out of sight of the camp before Alice spoke up, hesitantly. “Thank you for doing all of this for us. We probably shouldn't be taking you from your duties...”

“Protecting civilians is my duty. I'm not going to leave two little kids to wander alone in this chaos if I can help it.”

“We don't even have anything to give you...”

“It's my job, I tell you.” He kept his voice even, but the anger came through nonetheless. “I don't ever want be the kind of Corps member who has to take bribes to do his job.”

“Pa said the Corps always took bribes.” Jack picked the worst moments to speak up, in Alice's opinion.

“Some do. I won't.” He took a breath, and smiled down at them. “But enough of that. Do you know where you'd like to go, given a chance? Have you ever seen places other than Lucien City?”

“Not really,” Alice bit her lip. “We never traveled much. Ma and Pa were too busy with the shop.”

“Where are you from?” Jack piped up. “You don't sound like you're from Lucien.”

“Good ear, kiddo. I'm not. I'm from Portia.”

“Where's Portia?”

“Far southeast of here, on the Eastern Sea, beyond Sandrock. The only real way to get there is by boat from Barnarock. But it's a lovely place, lots of countryside and forest, a clean fresh river full of tasty fish, even some mountains. Portia Town is pretty small, just a hundred or so people, but it's cozy and warm and everyone knows everyone else. It's spring, now, all the flowers will be blooming, and it's so peaceful and pretty...” He shook his head. “Sorry. I get homesick sometimes, especially in the middle of all of this.”

“It sounds so lovely...I understand why you miss it. I love flowers,” Alice said wistfully.  “I wish we could go there someday. It'd be nice to be somewhere where there isn't any danger at all...”

“Well, it is on the Peripheries, and there is a Collapsed Wasteland nearby, with some odd monsters in it. But the Civil Corps there is dedicated and they keep the town pretty safe. “

“Wow, a real wasteland? Have you ever been in it?” Jack perked up, forgetting his troubles for a bit, and Alice's heart filled with gratitude.

He chuckled, a warm rich sound. “Yes, as a matter of fact. See, there were these two younger kids – Sam's about your age, Alice, and Arlo's two years older – and they snuck in once after school, a couple of years ago, on a dare. Sam's not one to turn down a dare, and she got Arlo to go with her by telling him it would be good training for the Flying Pigs – he's wanted to try out for them ever since he was old enough to know who they were.”

“What happened to them?” Alice asked.

“Well, they got pinned down behind a rock in the middle of a field full of Slurpees...”

“What's a Slurpee?” Jack interrupted.

“It's a great blue creature, kinda like a big fuzzy lizard with a round clowny face – they're not that dangerous, but they can get you with a stream of nasty freezing liquid...stuff...if you don't know how to predict and dodge it. Anyway, I hadn't wanted to snitch on the kids to Mr. Isaac, our teacher, so I snuck in myself, but I had the good sense to bring a couple of weapons with me. Gave Arlo one of the swords, and Sam a dartgun – she always was better with ranged weapons – and we fought our way out. Didn't even get caught, and I've never told anyone till now. So if you do get to Portia, don't tell Mr. Isaac or Mayor Gale on me, all right?”

“I won't. On my honor,” Jack said solemnly, and Alice stifled a giggle.

“Sam sounds like she gets in trouble a lot,” she commented, hoping to hear more about a girl her own age, living in a safe and happy place.

Remington laughed out loud. “That she does, especially the time she beat up the mayor's son. But she got off easy for that one.”

“How come?”

“She beat him up because he'd been picking on his little sister Ginger, and the mayor dotes on his daughter. Ginger's a sweet girl, but she's kinda fragile – her mother died when she was born, she'd never been strong either, and it seems like Ginger takes after her. But her brother Gust thought of her as the one who killed his Mama, and he was pretty awful to her. Sam kicked his butt into next Tuesday, and he left both of 'em alone after that. Last I heard, he'd taken himself off to Atara to study architecture or something. Sam always did hate a bully. She's got a heart of gold, she really does, and she'll always look out for anyone who needs her help. You ought to look her up, if you do get to Portia. Her family are refugees from Lucien too.”

“Really?” Alice asked. “How did they get there?”

“Her Pa is in the Civil Corps, in the front lines a bit further west of here, and her Ma got tired of always being in the danger zones. So she left before Sam was born, and headed down to the coast with Sam's older sister, Carol. Sam's Pa came to visit sometimes, when he was on leave, and Sam was born a few years later, just before her Ma decided to move into Portia Town. But her Ma got the sweating pox, and she died when Sam was only four, so she was mostly raised by her sister, and Carol wasn't much more than a girl herself. So Sam kinda grew up wild. But like I said, she's got a good heart, and she's done all right. And now Carol's gotten married, and had triplets, and Sam babysits for her pretty regularly, so it all comes full circle.”

Jack looked up at his sister. “Are you gonna raise me, now, Alice?”

“Hopefully she won't have to,” Remington said. “The Church will find you a nice family to take you in.”

“But I'll stay with you, I promise. No matter what, I won't let them split us up.” Alice wrapped her arms around her brother and hugged him hard.

“You keep to that. You two stick together and care for each other, and everything will be OK.” Remington hoped the kids couldn't hear the way the words had to fight past the sudden tightness in his throat. He'd never had siblings by blood, but Sam and Arlo were as close as made no difference, and he suddenly missed them both terribly.

[reenvhai]

Untitled (a Muehrin's day?)

Muehrin huffed and threw out the hammer, close to the anvil, after which he left the cave. Even with the Seashore Nest’s sun keeping warm all that territory, the open air outside was much cooler than the fierce heat inside the forge. The huge furnace melted metal for weapons and armors, as well as for construction pieces and tools. Muehrin had just done the final touches to a metal piece that would become an excellent breastplate. He just had to assemble it with leather straps… which he would do in the afternoon. Now, he needed to rest. The caeli sat on his hind legs and stretched simultaneously the four front legs, tired from work. Then he started walking quietly through the outer corridors of the cliff, toward the market, located down the boulder. Muehrin had been living for some time in that nest, but he never finished conditioning his house completely. He rather spend his time and eating with friends. So he went to look for Cahaya.

He began to inflate his wings while walking. He reached the point where the outer corridor was too narrow to walk. Muehrin stopped, standing at the edge of the precipice, and spread his four already bone-hard wings. He flexed his legs and jumped into the air. He descended quietly to the main cavern, the market entry. He let the ocean breeze fill the hollows of his wings and lift him, rocking him gently. Just for fun, he made a couple of spirals in flight before entering the huge hole in the sandrock. Then he flew just a bit more, until the tunnel became too crowded to maneuver easily, and he landed between the stalls with colorful awnings. From there he continued walking, with folded wings. Muehrin felt quite awkward and untidy if deflating its wings in public, so he always waited to have few people around to do it. He saw some familiar caeli faces and greeted them with a nod, gesture that they returned waving their arms. They were dismantling their bazaars, because it was the noon, and everyone was going home to eat and rest. He had finished walking through the tunnel and reached the large main cavern, when he saw Cahaya. The pastel caeli gave him a smile and waved her arm in the air; Muehrin waved back as he walked toward her. –Mu! How’s everything? –Cahaya greeted, as she finished setting her flowers in order. Cahaya was the responsible for bringing flowers to the Seashore Crafts market, while she had not a more stable job. Mu job also included crafting small metalwork for jewelry, as there was no other specialized jeweler to help, so his work allowed him to see his friend. –Sunny as always –Mu said, slightly smiling. When Cahaya finished, they started walking out of the cave. There was a soft smell of fish and spices, a sign that many caelis were having lunch. Muehrin thoughts floated once again to the secret palace kitchens. Well, actually those were not secret, but there were actually few caelis entering them or even knowing their location. Kitchen was somewhere in the maze of dark tunnels under the White Palace, and it stored all kinds of delicacies, or at least that was what he heard. In Muehrin’s to-do-list, sneak in into the royal kitchens occupied an important position. –I’m still waiting for the day you invite me to eat at your house –Cahaya complained jokingly, bringing him out of his musings. Mu smiled; from the first day he had gone to lunch with her, he had promised to return the invitation when his house was ready. However, as he never managed to get his home ready, he hadn’t had a chance to pay his friend favors yet. –I’m sorry, Cay –he apologized, lowering his cropped ears– But listen, the winter is here. And later, the cold spring storms will arrive. If I have a bit of common sense, I will want to have my house finished in a short time. And then I’ll invite you. –Hm, yes, you’re right –Cahaya conceded, looking thoughtful– though… now, it’s a matter of find out if you actually have it! –and she started to laugh. Muehrin was not guy of easy laugh, but Cahaya always put him in his best mood. He laughed with her, but more discretely. By then they had already reached the entrance of the main tunnel. The florist caeli spread her wings, and both took flight. The blacksmith placed to the left side of Cahaya, slightly lower, as they planned along the crag. The waves bathing quietly the shore, and in the distance the blue sea merged with the intense sky, giving the horizon a fuzzy appearance. When descending a little, Muehrin noticed the figure of a lone fisherman, silhouetted against the foam that covered the shore. That caeli walked inland, carrying nets and fishing gear; her movements were gentle and fluid. The tan skin of the fisherman would have let her go unnoticed in the sand from that height, but not in the pearly spume. However, what really betrayed her was her greenish blue colored hair, like water of reef. Muehrin could recognize that silhouette anywhere. Then Cahaya appeared so suddenly at his side that Mu stopped and flapped his wings, resulting in a clumsy accidental movement. –And that giggly smile, Mu? What do you have? –Cahaya said mockingly– You look so happy like if you had touched the sun. –I was born with my skin this way, Cahaya –Muehrin joked too, referring to his “sun spots” with the pun. He was trying to divert the florist attention, but he was unable to. –You know what I mean, big boy –she grimaced– If you didn’t touch the sun, then you flew over the moon. I lost count of how many times I’ve found you looking at that girl. –Oh, come on, Cay. It’s all your imagination –he replied contemptuously. And immediately he began to blush. Cahaya stopped bothering him: the color in his face and ears was answer enough. She flew the last stretch with a smile of satisfaction.

They ate fresh bread that the florist had bought in the market, in addition to the usual feast of marine animals. They spent a pleasant time small-talking and discussing stuff. The blacksmith wanted an apprentice or companion to take charge of the jewelry, and his friend had several suggestions to make him.

Muehrin waving his right arm in the air as goodbye to Cahaya. The caeli only let him when he promised that he would finish home in a few days, or she would invade the cavern to do it herself. Mu decided to establish that work as a priority; he had abused enough of the food and hospitality of his friends. There were still hours left to the dusk, but it was coming sooner or later. The blacksmith began to inflate his wings, as he walked a short distance. When he reached a ledge, with his already inflated wings, he jumped into the air. He was about to set course towards the forge, but then he changed his mind. Instead, he softly planned to the beach. The fisherman was not there, obviously. She would have gone to do her life. However, Mu got a pleasant surprise to discover a porcelain-colored seashell, half buried in the sand. He took it in his hands, lifting it to his ear to hear the vibration. He sat on the beach, letting the foam of the gentle waves caress his legs.

[anmousewrites]

Endless Waltz Rewatch and Review

I promised I would, so here it is. Like the other one, this one is going to have notes taken throughout because that way I can make sure I’ve covered everything.

The opening is always a little wonky. The stuff about the 13th constellation etc etc etc doesn’t make sense without background that we’re not given. In short, there’s whispers of a new mobile suit model. That’s really the easiest way to sum it up. 

Also, even young me used to side-eye the scene with Releena and the colony leaders. It STILL comes off as being way more suggestive than it is. 

Mariemeia’s voice acting is still 100% perfect. She’s so off-putting. Love it.

“My father entrusted me with these christmas presents.” okay idek if he’s actually your father at all, though, and if he is, The Audience already knows that can’t be true. Treize dedicated his whole life to The War To End All Wars so why would he do that. You have no idea, you’re ten.  Noin and Sally~ Noin and Sally! So good.

Releena is immedately skeptical of Mariemeia because she’s met Treize and she’s like rly r u for rl It’s glossed over a little but another good line from Duo “If you leave him alone, Quatre is the kind of guy who will take the blame for everything. I wouldn’t be surprised one day if he says his lack of effort is the reason there’s no air in space.” He’s right though.

Duo’s fondness for Deathscythe is so nice, and also the animation for the special edition is... great actually? Everyone’s relationships to their mechs are really interesting. 

I like seeing the backstories. A lot of this stuff is sort of implied in the series but it is nice to see it expanded upon. 

Mariemeia makes her speech and you don’t get to hear Une cursing but Ii can imagine it when she says who she is. No one can call her on that faster than Lady Une.

Showing how Quatre gets Sandrock is neat, but it raises more questions than it answers. I wish they would have done his history with the Maguanac’s instead. I read it in a manga one million years ago, but seeing as I still remember it, well, it sticks with you. 

“I find that I cannot quietly sleep in my grave while Trieze’s spirit is still roaming among us.” Translation: Y’all are slandering by best friend’s name and I will not stand for that shit even if I have to raise myself from the fucking dead. 

Wufei is usually on an opposing side to a lot of the pilots and their ideals and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Too often we default to just believing the heroes, so I think he does a fair job of pointing out that they might be wrong.

okay but when the music picks up when wing zero shows up and heero hops in, so good, rescue me from the nostalgia, everything is great, im die

The romantic relationships are all really low-key in Wing, where they’re hinted at all. There’s enough female characters for het ships, but ya’ll know that wasn’t how we rolled back when the show came out. Heck, for some of them, it’s not how I roll now. The interpersonal relationships in the show (between the pilots, their enemies, and even some civilian characters) are never really talked about but are all very interesting.

 Zechs played dead for a year and showed up again and Noin joins him on the battlefield to a mutual sense of relief. This is how it should be, this is how its always been, they’ve been fighting together since they were at Lake Victoria and nothing feels more natural, more right. Une still asks Treize for advice although she knows he isn’t there to answer. The easy, friendly relationship between Duo and Heero is comfortable and hilarious (who could imagine them being friends at all? but they make it look natural). The quiet understanding that Quatre and Trowa have is never spoken about, but demonstrated consistently though their actions.

I’m a sucker for characters and relationships and Endless Waltz, like the series, nails it.

“Let’s only take the weapons, and war itself, ALONG WITH US TO HELL.” Duo you’re the most quotable person and tbh I’ve quoted this for years. That one and ‘If you’re joking that’s cruel but if you’re being sarcastic that’s even worse.’

“How much longer do those kids intend to retaliate against me?” Dekim did you not pay attention for the last year, none of these people have any chill literally none at all

I love the parallels between Releena and Treize. Same goals, different ways of doing it, but they highlight how much their personalities and their dedication make the difference. Also Hello Dorothy. I’d be happy enough not to see her, but she does show up just to dish out some sick burns. She seems to have her shit together a little better now, and is acting more directly. She’s more likeable for it.

Not that complex characters can’t be likable, but seeing as she was so hard to pin down in the series it was really hard to understand or care about her. 

We see a lot of how Noin, Zechs, Quatre, Trowa and Duo are excellent fighters, not that the series ever let us doubt it. Wufei, for as much as he has the same skills, isn’t in this movie for how good he is in combat, though. He’s here to try and wrap his head around what to make of his life now that the war is over. It’s a struggle that likely Heero and Trowa also face, not to mention everyone left over from OZ, but he’s the one who brings it to the forefront, It’s not a bad role for him.

‘wow this place has like 7 walls it’s gundam proof’

Nothing is gundam proof but esp not beam rifle proof sorry

“See for yourself just how powerless you are.” “Roger that.” Now, he didn’t say ‘fuck you’, but he meant fuck you, you get me? How did Une get in to the locked down building? Who knows. She’s magical. We don’t care. 

“It is not the victor that moves the heart of the people.” Again, GW bringing it home that the war isn’t the point, the people are the point. That’s why Treize was so loved (IS so loved), why Releena is so important, why the gundams are the symbols that they are.

Treize has been dead for a year, but his ideals and his love are so insistent that Dekim is killed by one of his own men in Treize’s name. His decisions might have been awful, but he was one hell of a guy. 

Heero ‘symbolically’ killing Mariemeia makes sense kiiiiind of. Who she was is dead. She’s no longer Mariemeia Kushrenada... she’s Mariemeia Barton, and will be happy to live a gentler existence than the one she was raised in.

“I will never kill anyone ever again. I don’t... have to, anymore.” Coming from the guy whose been killing people since he was a smol, that’s saying something.

The end screen of the gundams shows them all alone EXCEPT Sandrock, who is with the MC. I really like that touch.

The ending shots all show the pilots going their own ways but Young Mouse and Old Mouse agree that they kept in touch. It’s hard when you share that kind of experience with someone to just let them go. No one understands them as well as the other pilots, so although they may not talk all the time, they are never alone. Heero would be the hardest to track down but c’mon he isn’t hiding that hard. 

Okay so, to sum up... Endless Waltz is completely context-less without the show. Its definitely made specifically for fans of it, and that’s okay. But it does mean it can’t just be picked up and watched... you’ll get really confused.  But as for quality, my answer is probably pretty predictable. It’s an old anime, and while Waltz looks slick as fuck for how old it is, you can still catch it in spots. There’s less Naval Gazing here, there’s less time for it, and all the philosophy and politics that are brought up are worth something. Also, we get to see all of our friends again and to get a real ending to their story. Except Treize. Now, my bitterness aside as a fan of his, the fact that he is missing is noticeable. Just like in the show, going through time without him has a strange feeling to it, because his influence is still felt everywhere. 

Waltz gives us some of the best of these characters and distills some of the best of the show. I don’t really have a lot of complaints, as much as I would love to be critical of it. Explosions in space? Explosions underwater? Space Empathy TM? But in the end, none of those things really break the feeling of it. It’s a good adventure, and to this day it makes me glad to have been on it.