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star_ocean_fan I'm back. A lot came my way in the past few weeks. I ended up buying a car (I named her Sigyn, after a Norse deity), and I helped a friend move from one end of the country to the other. All of these things had preoccupied my mind, kept me distracted, but I have not lost focus, not for this, not for my writing career, or other life goals.
And, though it seems silly in the grand scheme of things, in the grand scheme of life, I want to keep the flame, the love for Star Ocean alive. Despite how some people have ragged on it, it is an awesome game, an awesome series that needs better story, better character, and better playability treatment.
On a collection update, I have added the latest installment, Integrity and Faithlessness, to my collection. I am making my way through the game in chunks. I may play later; depends on how much writing I get done on some of the novels and fanfic pieces.
One thing I'm going to note. As I helped my best friend move, we talked video games. Specifically, we talked about Star Ocean (the three games I have played - I own all but Blue Sphere at this point) and Final Fantasy. When it came to Star Ocean, we talked mostly about Till the End of Time, my favorite of the series. It isn't the first time we've discussed the game, but she's given me plenty of ideas to converse about and present to my fellow Star Ocean fans, including today's topic about Albel Nox.
Some things I will be bringing up in the course of the next few weeks, in addition to rehashing old conversations, posting fanfiction, and revisiting the projects list I created for myself in the beginning. Yes, I dearly want Luther and Fayt as ball-jointed dolls, and I want to resume learning how to crochet so I can make me some fantastic items, maybe even do trades with others. We'll see. Oh yes, and I want to make plushies.
That's all for the next couple of weeks. To note, conversation topic ideas are always welcome.
So here's what's coming up for conversation topics. I will be rehashing Luther and his motivations. I found an old fanfiction that presents Luther in a very different light, and I had a thought about him myself when watching the cutscenes on youtube. I also have a thought or two on Robert Leingod and his motivations upon finding the Time Gate. I even have a thought about Stephen D. Kenny and my initial impression of Star Ocean 5.
That's what's coming up over the next few weeks, along with the Thirty One Days of Star Ocean Halloween Fanfiction. Now, it isn't going to be limited to fanfiction, but, as I can't draw worth a smeg at this point (I just don't sit down and practice. I could always improve, if I want), for myself, it will be fanfiction.
At the end of September, I'll post 31 prompts for Halloween, for fellow Star Ocean fans to utilize if they wish, to write their own fanfiction, draw their own comics, draw, or cosplay. My goal is to post one-shots and drabbles as a means of celebrating Halloween throughout the month of October. I'm considering the same for the month of December. (For people on deviantArt only, there will be a deviation listed in the groups specific to Star Ocean for this - that way you will not have to search journal entries for the prompts.)
Starting October 1st, I will post fanfiction pieces for Star Ocean to celebrate my most favorite holiday in the world. I'll even look for my birthday list to remind people which characters have October birthdays, either officially or as designated by me. Fanfiction entries will appear in the journals, on dA, Archive of Our Own, and fanfiction.net. Links will be provided on the facebook pages.
One more reminder before I get into the (very brief) conversation topic on Albel, I do wish to remind everyone that the Star Ocean contest giveaway is still in effect. Any photos of Star Ocean cosplay from the last nine months will receive a free copy of my first publication, Portal to Gaming. Doesn't matter which game, doesn't matter if it's a convention setting or not, send me the picture to email or post to dA and to the specific pages of Arc of Fantasy, Elise K. Ra'sha Author, Dragonfly Moonlight, Star Ocean Project and Star Ocean Universe on facebook then a PM with your mailing address, you will receive a free paperback copy of Portal to Gaming. You don't even need to pay for the shipping. There is no deadline for this giveaway.
Onwards towards everyone's favorite anti-hero, Albel Nox.
This is going to be quite brief. As mentioned before, I have discussed Star Ocean with my best friend, who really has not played the game. Everything she knows is based on what I've told her, what she's looked up, and what I've shown her in terms of video and artwork. She presented to me an idea that actually might make sense but will be quite controversial to all Albel fans.
Albel Nox - Is he male or a masculine hermaphrodite?
Personally, I can see this particular nugget swinging either way, but I'm going to bring up what my best friend, the non-player, noted when I linked her to official Albel artwork from the video game packaging. I even have an idea for fanfiction fodder on this, but I digress.
Here is what was noted about Albel in the official artwork.
For being such a skinny guy, he has some manboobs. Now, most artists tend to draw them as well defined pecs for Albel, giving him a muscular physique with his lithe form. This is something I can see.
He also has some very girly legs, or at least the one sticking out of the slit in his covering so appears to her.
This is not to say Albel is a girl. Hardly, though I have seen doujin for sale on eBay for femme!Albel in a relationship with Cliff Fittir. After all, Albel has quite the manly voice, for both the English and Japanese versions. (Or so I presume on the Japanese. The voice album is what gives me that idea.)
Now, if this particular tidbit is true and he is actually both genders rolled into one, this would present a very interesting and tortured character in the Star Ocean universe. Albel lives on a backwater planet with a low level of technology. He also lives in a region that focuses very much on the manliness of manly men and their ability to be warriors, as opposed to their neighbor, the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria. This would also add to his inherent nastiness towards others, an effort to keep other people at bay so they will not find out his "shameful" secret. Who would want to be with someone who isn't completely one gender or the other, based on how everyone else looks and acts within their society?
And, finally, this would make Albel one of the most unique characters in the Star Ocean universe. Hands down on that. I'm not saying this is true, but I'm not saying it isn't true, either. I leave it up to my fellow Star Ocean fans to decide. To me, either way of looking at Albel will be quite correct. Seeing him as a perfect hermaphrodite would also add something to love even more about Star Ocean, the idea of inclusivity. Albel isn't a main character, but his gender identity certainly would not be an obstacle for someone like Fayt. I think it's been established pretty clear Fayt is incapable of really hating anyone.
So, there's the nugget on Albel Nox. Discuss it, ignore it, or run with it as fanfiction and fanart fodder. That's what we Star Ocean fans are really good at!
Have a wonderful Wednesday!!
And, though it seems silly in the grand scheme of things, in the grand scheme of life, I want to keep the flame, the love for Star Ocean alive. Despite how some people have ragged on it, it is an awesome game, an awesome series that needs better story, better character, and better playability treatment.
On a collection update, I have added the latest installment, Integrity and Faithlessness, to my collection. I am making my way through the game in chunks. I may play later; depends on how much writing I get done on some of the novels and fanfic pieces.
One thing I'm going to note. As I helped my best friend move, we talked video games. Specifically, we talked about Star Ocean (the three games I have played - I own all but Blue Sphere at this point) and Final Fantasy. When it came to Star Ocean, we talked mostly about Till the End of Time, my favorite of the series. It isn't the first time we've discussed the game, but she's given me plenty of ideas to converse about and present to my fellow Star Ocean fans, including today's topic about Albel Nox.
Some things I will be bringing up in the course of the next few weeks, in addition to rehashing old conversations, posting fanfiction, and revisiting the projects list I created for myself in the beginning. Yes, I dearly want Luther and Fayt as ball-jointed dolls, and I want to resume learning how to crochet so I can make me some fantastic items, maybe even do trades with others. We'll see. Oh yes, and I want to make plushies.
That's all for the next couple of weeks. To note, conversation topic ideas are always welcome.
So here's what's coming up for conversation topics. I will be rehashing Luther and his motivations. I found an old fanfiction that presents Luther in a very different light, and I had a thought about him myself when watching the cutscenes on youtube. I also have a thought or two on Robert Leingod and his motivations upon finding the Time Gate. I even have a thought about Stephen D. Kenny and my initial impression of Star Ocean 5.
That's what's coming up over the next few weeks, along with the Thirty One Days of Star Ocean Halloween Fanfiction. Now, it isn't going to be limited to fanfiction, but, as I can't draw worth a smeg at this point (I just don't sit down and practice. I could always improve, if I want), for myself, it will be fanfiction.
At the end of September, I'll post 31 prompts for Halloween, for fellow Star Ocean fans to utilize if they wish, to write their own fanfiction, draw their own comics, draw, or cosplay. My goal is to post one-shots and drabbles as a means of celebrating Halloween throughout the month of October. I'm considering the same for the month of December. (For people on deviantArt only, there will be a deviation listed in the groups specific to Star Ocean for this - that way you will not have to search journal entries for the prompts.)
Starting October 1st, I will post fanfiction pieces for Star Ocean to celebrate my most favorite holiday in the world. I'll even look for my birthday list to remind people which characters have October birthdays, either officially or as designated by me. Fanfiction entries will appear in the journals, on dA, Archive of Our Own, and fanfiction.net. Links will be provided on the facebook pages.
One more reminder before I get into the (very brief) conversation topic on Albel, I do wish to remind everyone that the Star Ocean contest giveaway is still in effect. Any photos of Star Ocean cosplay from the last nine months will receive a free copy of my first publication, Portal to Gaming. Doesn't matter which game, doesn't matter if it's a convention setting or not, send me the picture to email or post to dA and to the specific pages of Arc of Fantasy, Elise K. Ra'sha Author, Dragonfly Moonlight, Star Ocean Project and Star Ocean Universe on facebook then a PM with your mailing address, you will receive a free paperback copy of Portal to Gaming. You don't even need to pay for the shipping. There is no deadline for this giveaway.
Onwards towards everyone's favorite anti-hero, Albel Nox.
This is going to be quite brief. As mentioned before, I have discussed Star Ocean with my best friend, who really has not played the game. Everything she knows is based on what I've told her, what she's looked up, and what I've shown her in terms of video and artwork. She presented to me an idea that actually might make sense but will be quite controversial to all Albel fans.
Albel Nox - Is he male or a masculine hermaphrodite?
Personally, I can see this particular nugget swinging either way, but I'm going to bring up what my best friend, the non-player, noted when I linked her to official Albel artwork from the video game packaging. I even have an idea for fanfiction fodder on this, but I digress.
Here is what was noted about Albel in the official artwork.
For being such a skinny guy, he has some manboobs. Now, most artists tend to draw them as well defined pecs for Albel, giving him a muscular physique with his lithe form. This is something I can see.
He also has some very girly legs, or at least the one sticking out of the slit in his covering so appears to her.
This is not to say Albel is a girl. Hardly, though I have seen doujin for sale on eBay for femme!Albel in a relationship with Cliff Fittir. After all, Albel has quite the manly voice, for both the English and Japanese versions. (Or so I presume on the Japanese. The voice album is what gives me that idea.)
Now, if this particular tidbit is true and he is actually both genders rolled into one, this would present a very interesting and tortured character in the Star Ocean universe. Albel lives on a backwater planet with a low level of technology. He also lives in a region that focuses very much on the manliness of manly men and their ability to be warriors, as opposed to their neighbor, the Sacred Kingdom of Aquaria. This would also add to his inherent nastiness towards others, an effort to keep other people at bay so they will not find out his "shameful" secret. Who would want to be with someone who isn't completely one gender or the other, based on how everyone else looks and acts within their society?
And, finally, this would make Albel one of the most unique characters in the Star Ocean universe. Hands down on that. I'm not saying this is true, but I'm not saying it isn't true, either. I leave it up to my fellow Star Ocean fans to decide. To me, either way of looking at Albel will be quite correct. Seeing him as a perfect hermaphrodite would also add something to love even more about Star Ocean, the idea of inclusivity. Albel isn't a main character, but his gender identity certainly would not be an obstacle for someone like Fayt. I think it's been established pretty clear Fayt is incapable of really hating anyone.
So, there's the nugget on Albel Nox. Discuss it, ignore it, or run with it as fanfiction and fanart fodder. That's what we Star Ocean fans are really good at!
Have a wonderful Wednesday!!
