Ok another animatic! This one was an almost completely scrapped concept that didn't make it to the final cut of Crossing Starfields
With this animatic, we were exploring the possibility of White remaining angry at Nova for how bad things had gotten around the hotel. However, he would blame Nova for letting him slip and fall to his death that fateful day.
The plan was to have Nova have a breakdown over trying to pretend things were going to be okay after White got back, only to have him not be as happy to see his little brother as he'd hoped White would be. The audio used was from a scene from Steven Universe Future that fit the vibes we were going for perfectly. Only a few changes to the monologue to fit in-universe and done! A base reference for us to see if this would be a good idea or not. It turned out to not be XD since we did not know how to progress the story from that plot point onward. It would be an amazing scene to storyboard and write, but ultimately leave us with our hands tied as to what we could do with it. Of course, part of this was used as inspiration for the part where White lashed out at Nova as he returned to the hotel.
This was all drawn on Krita and post-production done on CapCut, all open source and free programs!
Why do all metals go rogue one way or another lmao. I'll excuse this one tho
Au done in collaboration with @keixamie .｡.:*✧
Tension began forming between Nova and Blank. As Blank kept straying away from the path Nova had designed for him, he started falling for Amara, Nova's assistant. She'd been helping Blank find his way around the hotel and teaching him small things related to whatever Nova would tell him to do. With time, Blank would develop a crush on Amara and bring her small things like flowers or candies he'd steal from the reception desk.
In the meantime, Nova only grew more displeased with how things were going. He'd noticed how close Blank had started becoming with Amara, how he'd speak to her about anything and everything, but only let out a few beeps and boops around Nova. He felt left out of the relationship he was trying to build himself. Nova pondered the possibility of letting go of Blank since it seemed like he was becoming his own person, besides the fact that he clearly didn't want anything to do with Nova. That perhaps, White would stay dead forever. It hurt to think about something like that, that Nova would give up on his promise to bring his brother home where they could finally rest from this whole mess. He pushed that thought away and tried to focus on his original plan. Blank could not be permanent. He'd die out eventually. When White returned, Blank would dissappear like the parasitic line of code he was. Then, Nova and White could forget this whole mess had ever even happened.
Nova would limit the amount of time Blank and Amara would spend together, pushing himself in to replace her and with enough luck get back the attention he used to get from Blank. However, this would only make Blank angrier and try to escape whatever plans Nova had made for the day. Blank would either not even show up at Nova's office or even go as far as to try running away from the hotel. He'd usually get found and brough back in by Nova himself, but never really getting reprimanded as Nova couldn't bring himself to do it.
Nova's plan was falling apart, but he couldn't bring himself to face it.
Burry your sorrow, weep the losses, move on. There's nothing more to gain from putting someone through the suffering you went through.
Also this is another long one so y'know the drill by now 🥤🍿
" I may be nobody now, but you... you are nothing. "
Those words clung to him. They clawed at everything he'd been telling himself during the time he'd been living under Nova's thumb. All the vengeful wishing, the will to punish, everything he'd based himself on to build his new self. Was all of that for nothing? No, he couldn't be nothing. He was something- no, someone. He was someone, and that someone was falling off a cliff at high speed, unsure of where exactly he was.
Blank had the time to stop himself from hitting the cliffside and probably scraping his head off his shoulders. White had thrown him with enough force to give him some manoeuvring room to get his jet engine working and make a somewhat safe landing. He still tumbled down the cliffside into the forest bellow, but not fast enough to turn his metal body into metal scraps. Where was he? Just a minute ago he stood on the floors of a pristine hotel, now among the trees and rocks, in the vast nature he'd never experienced before. The weak afternoon sun greeted him with flashes of warmth that escaped the covering of foliage above his head. He needed to assess the situation, but first, himself. Nothing seemed to be broken. All systems still online. He felt the metal coating of his face crushed and twisted, his white paint job chipping away to reveal his true dark blue colors. White had done this to him. Apparently violence ran in the Starfields family. What a disgrace.
He wasn't sure on what to do, so he just walked. He could have flown over the trees, seek refuge somewhere else, but he wanted to be alone with his thoughts for a while longer. That was how he'd been doing it all his life. Some alone time, to dwell in his own thoughts, though he'd always get sucked into the worst ones. Oh, how he wished he could just fly back in there and tear that crybaby face off Nova, then follow it up with finishing off the other one. The drive to just reenact all the betrayal he felt onto somebody else, someone who deserved it, who was guilty of it. Was it a bit selfish? Perhaps, but it wasn't like anybody else was looking out for him. To Blank, everyone had backstabbed him somehow. Even Amara, his mentor, his best and only friend turned crush eventually tried persuading him to do something else with his life.
" Leave him to his grief, Blank. You'll gain nothing from this. "
There was no one he could trust.
He did get snapped out of his own thoughts eventually. He wasn't sure how much he'd walked, or even how long it had been. It was nighttime now. His sensors detected a strong source of energy nearby. It was similar to what Blank had felt when he met White, so his guard was immediately up. What was that? Some enemy? White who had returned to kick his ass some more? He partially hoped it was, cuz he wanted a chance to return the favour. The signal was getting stronger. Was someone hiding in there? In the trees? Watching him? Probably not. That would be stupid. That only happened in the horror movies he'd seen back home... home. He shook away that uncomfortable feeling and focused on finding what was causing such energy readings.
Eventually, he found it. Glowing bright, illuminating the underside of the tree foliage, a set of large gemstones laid undisturbed in the grass, vines holding them in place.
That was... odd, to say the least. What were these? What were they doing here in the middle of nowhere? And why did they feel so... familiar? The energy readings spiked, circuits heating up. Something in him told him to take them. It felt so natural, such a logical conclusion despite coming from thin air, that Blank didn't even think twice. He clawed at the vines, slicing them open with his sharp fingertips. As soon as he touched the glassy surface, everything went black.
Systems needed a reboot. Everything felt uncomfortable. Something was very, very wrong.
System finished its reboot, but it wasn't the same anymore. Was he still in the same place? Daylight greeted him through the leaves up above. Yep, still in the forest. Had he passed out? Or whatever the equivalent was to robots. Usually reboots did not take these many hours. Blank sat up in the grassy plane, feeling the world move under his feet. He felt sick; why was he so far from the ground? It looked so far away, as if he was on someone else's shoulders. Worse even, those weird... glowing things. They were gone. What on Earth was happening?! Why was everything so weird?! Why did he felt so weird?! For the first time, Blank wished he could just go home. This wasn't the freedom he thought it would be. But it wasn't his fault. It was all...
" Nova. "
This was all his fault - Nova's fault. He was the reason all this was happening. He had kicked this whole series of tragic events in motion, taking everyone he could grab down with him. Anger took over him again, but not the usual kind. This was much worse. Some uncontrollable will to go after something, to destroy anything that stood in his path that stopped him from getting what he wanted. To never quit, to never stop, to never fear anything ever again. But what did he want?
Revenge.
Justice was no longer enough. It hadn't worked. If he wanted something done, he was gonna have to do it himself. Even if the whole world stood in his way, he knew he would defeat it. If he wanted that pathetic excuse of a genetic life and its older sibling to pay for their actions, he would be alone in pursuing such goal. But that felt alright. Blank got back up, powered by some uncontrollable determination to keep going.
Blank, now rebranding himself as Neut, bided his time. He watched as life grew around him, organic beings stumbling around from task to task. What a pathetic way to live. But he knew better. He was better than everyone else around him. He knew better, for certain. Neut sank deep into his own thoughts, letting himself relish this new form and the surge of power it brought with it. Testing its limits, training, Neut lived a life of solitude and resentment for those who had wronged him, waiting for the perfect time to return home. He couldn't wait to see the look on Nova's face, to rip it out of his head, to fulfil his mission, his desires. Months later, he got the most pleasant of surprises, as familiar faces stood over that same cliff he'd been thrown off of. No more hiding in the tree line. Now was his chance.
━───────┅ ✧ ┅───────━
With his own brother and two ex-Neos having his back, with a flick of a switch, Neut was awake again.
Unfamiliar green eyes replaced the white ones Neut previously dawned. He slowly scanned the room around him, not making any sudden movements.
" Alright sunshine, let's take it easy. You've been sleeping for a while now, so you might be a bit confused- "
" You. "
Nova let out a disappointed sigh.
" Yes, me. Please, let's just talk about this- "
Neut had stopped listening to whatever Nova was talking about as he focused on the chains around his limbs. Why was he suspended mid-air? Why was he here? He could barely remember what had happened before he'd been shut down. He was fighting someone... them. He was fighting Nova and White. Didn't seem like too ludicrous to believe; he did particularly dislike them. Though something felt off yet again. He always felt weird after reboots or shut downs, perhaps he should stop doing them so often. He wasn't nearly as angry as he remembered being. He could remember himself living a lonely life in the forest, obsessed with his feelings of wrath and vengefulness. Why... had he done that? He was free, just like he'd always wanted. He was still angry, sure, but to live angry was just ridiculous, at least when there are so many better things to do in life. Why had he been so focused on that?
" Put me down. "
" What- Were you even listening to what I was saying? "
" That you're sorry? "
" ... yes. "
" I don't care if you're sorry. "
Nova stood on alert still, but in somewhat bewilderment. He didn't care? HOW could he not care?! He was willing to kill them just hours ago, how could he not care about something Nova, apparently his least favorite person in the world, had to say?! White had noticed his little brother stuck in shock. He tried snapping him out of it with a small elbow shove. That seemed to work, as Nova shook his head and looked back at his big brother for something, anything. With a single look, Nova understood what had happened. It was the code. Neut was definitely still angry, just not... enraged, maniacal even. He seemed at peace with it by simply not caring about such a situation, and that gave Nova a certain feeling of peace with it too. Neut wasn't after his head anymore, so that was reassuring.
" So... are we cool? "
Neut picked at the chains around his limbs, still taking use of the immense amount of power he had to break free from them like it was nothing, landing on the metal ground below with a loud thump. He seemed to surprise himself with how easy it had been, along with the rest of the crew. He turned to face Nova again.
" Absolutely not. I don't want to see your disgraced face in front of me ever again. You ruined my life. I just... don't have the will to go after some bullshit avenger resolution. Just... don't appear in front of me again. Like, ever again. "
Nova took another deep breath.
" Yes, that... seems fair. "
Uncomfortable silences seemed to be a recurring thing. Nobody in there really got along that well.
" Sooooo, what should we do with you now? "
" Nooo no no no. Fuck that. I'll be the one deciding that now. Not that shit again. "
Sonic raised his hands in a jokingly defensive way, quickly apologising for the tone-deaf question. Still, he looked at Tails for confirmation that letting this thing walk around would be something safe to do.
" Well, he doesn't seem to have a vendetta against anybody else, and with all that malicious code out of him... there's no logical reason for us to worry. I just ask you to get an organic disguise like White and Nova have. People are still weary of anybody that looks remotely like Metal Sonic. "
" Psh. Fair enough. Can I leave now? This place gives me the creeps. "
" Uhhmmmm... "
He gave another quick look at Tails, getting a reassuring thumbsup in return.
" ...sure! Blast off! Actually, just walk out the door. Y'know, the whole robot thing... but besides that, welcome to Earth! I'm sure you'll love it here! We'll get ya a home of your own as soon as possible, so you don't turn into the next local legend by living in the woods. "
With that, Sonic reached out for a handshake. It took a few seconds for Neut to accept it, but he soon wrapped his metal talons around the organic's hand and shook it. They were gonna need to work on a disguise for him. Tails would help with that. White stood still besides his brother with a hand over his shoulder. Though to his delight, it seemed Nova no longer needed that kind of comfort, as he stood straight and proud, no longer hunched over in fear. There was life in his eyes again, the same determination and excitement he'd seen in Nova so many years ago. He thought he'd lost that part of his brother, but luckily, Nova had found himself again.
Sonic guided everyone out the door, quickly filling in Neut on all he needed to know about how the world functioned now. White and Nova followed behind, the younger sibling excited about what the future held for them. The possibilities were endless. The idea of taking over the world was still on the table, as Nova still wanted to prove himself to White, how be could be just as good as his older brother. However, that option was far, far in the back of his mind. For now, he just wished to enjoy this new life in peace. Maybe take a vacation, who knew?
Goodbyes are usually bittersweet. You grow up with friends and family, even enemies sometimes. Eventually, you move away. The only thing separating the brothers from Neut was a simple portal. They could hop in and out at will, which was great for people like Amara, who got to visit Neut every once in a while to see him again. Apparently she was the only one able to make him crack a smile, and the only one he allowed to visit him unannounced. The Starfields Siblings remained in their new lives, running the hotel and occasionally getting in trouble from people accusing them of being robots in disguise. After all the drama and actually dangerous things they'd been through, they could simply laugh it off now.
And as the sun set where each one lived, most thought about that portal that had been opened so many years ago. How, by mere chance, the past 5 years had happened. Perhaps, for now, it was best to leave it mostly closed.
So this is it; the end of Crossing Starfields. I started this au around July 2021 while on summer vacations. I had no WIFI so all the lore and back and forth was done with mobile data. It's kinda poetic that it'll end around that time too, since I'll be returning to that exact place in a few weeks.
I won't make this very emotional and pretentious because it's not even close to that XD I just wanna thank everyone who stuck around for this. It's been fun writing for my mutuals. I never know how to end these things :P so I'll see you in a bit.
Amara decides to give the brothers a little privacy. As soon as she heard Nova breaking into tears, she knew better than to interrupt them. Though now she was worried about Blank. She knew about all the hacking and mean-spirited "pranks" he'd played on Nova. She didn't agreed with them - no one should ever have to suffer that much - but on the other side, this wasn't her fight to fight. She could try to redirect Blank to a better life path and tell him to focus on the good things in life and let go of the past. But Blank seemed like he didn't want to go out of his way to live a new life. He'd made it his purpose to torment Nova to fulfill some kind of sick desire for revenge instead of justice.
After a minute or two calming down Nova, White finally got the answers to his questions. Nova told him everything. What the last two years had been like for him. Nova explained what his plan was to bring back White, how he hadn't let himself mourn, admitted his faults and the horrible things he'd done to Blank, but also how he'd been punished to hell and back for it. From how far he'd fallen from grace, Nova worried deep down that his brother would not take him back the way he was now. Luckily he was proven wrong as White kept reassuring him things would be solved, that he was proud that Nova seemed to resent his wrongful actions.
Blank listened to their conversation through the door. It filed him with anger that White had left his side. Blank felt as if he couldn't trust anyone, apparently not even his crush, Amara. Even she was trying to get him to stop punishing Nova for the horrors he'd caused the two of them. Someone with whom he'd trusted everything was now trying to persuade him to give up taking what was rightfully his. Blank felt a bit heartbroken but tried concealing it behind his robot pokerface. If he wanted things done, he'd have to do them himself.
Blank slammed the door open, rudely interrupting the brothers, Amara running after him. Blank yelled and wailed for White to kick Nova to hell and back, to erase him from existence for all the bad things he'd done. Blank rambled in rage about how White should feel attacked too, that the pain Blank felt was intended for White. Letting Nova go unpunished was outrageous. But, as White saw his little brother clinging to him in fear, he locked eyes on his new target.
" You are to leave this place, never to return. "
" And let him get away with this?! "
" If you don't leave, I will have to escort you out myself. "
" Just try it-! "
White immediately grabbed Blank by his head, lifting him off the ground as if threatening to throw him out the window. To most people's surprise, Nova was the one who started yelling for White to not hurt him. He exclaimed things had gotten bad enough already, that as much as it pained him to admit it, Blank wasn't at fault for this mess. White had a hard time believing that, as in the first few minutes he'd met Blank he'd already proven himself to be cunning and manipulative enough to trick others to execute his judgements. Still, he couldn't bring himself to go against his brother's pleading. If Nova wanted this parasite to live, then White would let him live. Live far, far away from them.
White opened a portal similar to the one that'd connected his empire to Nova's dimension. In fact, it was indeed a portal to White's original dimension. He looked down at Blank, still clasping his face with one hand.
" You're never getting your old life back. Your empire, all the things Nova told me you were proud of; they'll never return again! Without your power, you're a nobody-! "
" I may be nobody now. But you... you are nothing. "
White threw Blank through the portal full force. As he heard the robot hitting something at full speed and tumbling down in a distant echo, the portal closed for what everyone hoped to be the final time.
As days go by at Starfields Hotel and the Christmas season quickly approaches, everyone thinks of who they would like to still have close to them.
It took a few months for things to go mostly back to normal. The hotel was back to business full force, repairs were being done, and new management was in. Not to leave Nova doing all this work alone, White still helped him take care of any paperwork, budgeting or whatever kind of work he could help with. During his return to the public light, most people described this "new" Mr.Starfields as quieter and less appealing. Sure, he wasn't as sassy and snarky as before, but he didn’t mind it much. However, it was when some people started accusing White of being the reason Nova was so secluded and not letting many people in his life that Nova would jump to defend White, saying that he was a loving brother, and it was precisely because or nosy disrespectful people like that that Nova did not let many people into his life. He would still try to comfort White after that, but most of the time White would be the one protecting Nova from any paparazzi or noisy journalists.
As the months went by in bliss, Christmas season quickly came. This was White’s favourite time of the year, so Nova wanted to make it extra special. He went out of his way to decorate the whole place to match the holiday spirit, ordering lights and decorations, setting up Christmas trees, even buying gifts to give him when the day came. It felt great to retribute the kindness and care White had given him. Nova wondered if things would feel like this forever, to give and receive love without having to forcefully take it. Flashbacks to how much it took to get Blank to just acknowledge his existence; now that Nova could finally think clearly, the weight of what he'd done came down on him. The way Blank had mercilessly been thrown out like garbage now seemed unfair. None of them were innocent in this situation. Still, Nova tried pushing the thought away just for the day.
" Happy Holidays from the Starfields Brothers! Everyone have a great night! "
Sharing the celebration with the whole hotel wasn't exactly what Nova had in mind, but seeing White having fun and talking with so many people made him sure that this had been the right thing to do. Hell, even Sonic and his friends had shown up. Part of Nova knew it was merely to get a chance to spy on Nova as they still suspected he was Neo Metal Sonic in disguise, but it didn't bother him as much as it had previously. Everyone needed a break, to relax and have some fun. However, not everyone seemed to be having fun
The past Christmas, Blank had spent the holiday with Amara as he tried dodging Nova at all costs. He'd gifted her flowers at the time, promising to get her a bigger bouquet next year. Not having him around in the present year somewhat hurt a bit for Amara, but she told herself perhaps it was for the best Blank wasn't around anymore. She missed her friend, but this was what Mr.Starfields - both misters Starfields now - seemed to want.
Nova had taken notice of this. Things really were left badly resolved, and he wasn't the only one who had noticed it. Nova had thought about apologising to Blank. Would he have the guts do it? Should he even do it? Things were picture perfect now, but the way his wrongdoings kept creeping up on him during such happy times was starting to ruin things. As much as it hurt to think, yes, Blank did deserve an apology too.
He confronted his brother about it a few days later, explaining how he felt like he should apologize to Blank for the years of control he'd had over him, for the threats and belittling. White wasn't quite a fan of Blank from the few interactions he'd had with him, but still, he could understand Nova's concerns. He knew what his brother had done, but perhaps was wishing to put it behind their backs too. White confirmed that yes, he could still open a portal back to his dimension where he'd thrown Blank to, but he wasn't sure Blank would be very happy to see them again. Nova knew that, wanting to take the risk as it was the right thing to do.
" Soon, we'll leave this whole mess all behind. We won't have to think about this situation ever again. "
So me and @keixamie have been talking non-stop about our Neo aus for like... 2 weeks?- yeah 2 weeks now. Ngl finding someone who likes hearing about the stupid shit I come up with at like 5 AM is the best feeling I've felt in a while so hey thx bestie 🤗💕
Long story short; Nova and White are besties and no one can tell us otherwise-
