#askbalthazaar

[loominggaia]

Who wants to get fisted?

It's Balthazaar from the Looming Gaia series!

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[loominggaia]

This is @niittinaatti's fault for comparing Balthazaar to Homer Simpson in her videos lmao

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[loominggaia]

Looming Gaia Trivia: The character Balthazaar Valentino was named after a real person!

Many years ago, I had an older friend who served in the military when he was younger. He told me about a guy he served with named Balthazaar Valentino, and he thought that was the coolest name ever. Supposedly he was like a real-life action hero and my friend admired him a lot. My friend said he always wanted to draw comics and name a character after this guy, but he never got around to it.

I was like, "I draw comics, I could totally name one of my characters after him." And he was stoked! Balthazaar Valentino became a character in Fairy Tale Rejects, then an older version of him went on to appear in its successor, the World of Looming Gaia series.

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[loominggaia]

Every time I read a story I have a new ship lol. I finished Resistance is Futile and now I ship Tomato and Azadora. I wonder how would their parents react if they got together?

They are cuties! I'm not sure they're in the right age range to be dating eachother though. At this point in the series, Tomato is 13 and Azadora is 10. This gap won't matter when they're older, but right now they are in pretty different stages of life. Tomato is starting to deal with teenager problems and Azadora is still just a kid, they can't relate to eachother very much. I think they just play together because frankly, there aren't a lot of kids in the Hollow and they don't have much choice.

But let's say a few years pass. Azadora is 18 and Tomato is 21, and they've decided to date eachother. How would their parents react?

In short...not well. At least not at first.

Balthazaar just doesn't want his precious Dory dating anyone, period. He doesn't trust that any boy is good enough for her. He thinks they're all horny little scumbags who will only break her heart, or worse, trap her in a crummy marriage. He does want her to marry someday, but in reality, her suitors would have to move mountains to earn his approval.

Balthazaar likes Ginger and Tomato well enough (He hates Itchy, but so does everyone, so...) but the notion of a satyr boy dating his daughter would sting him. He wouldn't like it at all. He's a bit prejudiced and believes male satyrs are only after sex, that they're hopeless drunks who can't hold a job or be responsible. He doesn't dislike Tomato, but he doesn't want him as a son-in-law.

Itchy, meanwhile, is hootin' and hollerin' with pride because his son is dating a cute girl! A cute human girl! He believes all humans have lots of money, and because they don't face discrimination that satyrs do, life is always easy for them. He encourages Tomato to put a ring on that girl's finger as soon as possible so he can reap all those social benefits a human wife would give him.

Ginger is much more reluctant about this. She worries that because Azadora is human, this means she will never have grandchildren. She also worries that their species differences will cause drama in the relationship. But she likes Balthazaar and Azadora; they are her friends and she knows they're good people. Ultimately she just wants Tomato to be happy, so she gives her blessing, even if she's not 100% on board with the idea.

Cinnamon's just like, "You want to marry my brother? GROSS. He sucks lol"

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[loominggaia]

Balthazar reminds me of Bill from King of the hill xD

Anon this is so true and so based. I want to kiss you

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[loominggaia]

AFAIK we never got to see the Steel knuckle squad as kids. What were they like when they were little?

That's true! Their origin stories all began a bit later in their lives, so we didn't get to look into their childhoods the way we did with most of the other FGG.

I do have an illustration of a young Javaan and his mother here, but no artwork of the other SKS guys as kids yet.

Linde was a typical snotty rich girl, with one key difference...she didn't have a lot of friends. She was actually quite lonely, since her parents sent her to private school and forbade her from going out very much. They were worried about her safety due to her albinism, as people in their region are very superstitious and have ignorant beliefs about albino people.

As a child, Linde spent too much time alone, consuming media that made her feel bad about herself. She was terribly self-critical and insecure from a young age. When I imagine Linde as a child, I see an agitated, demanding, and unpleasant little girl. Despite her family's wealth, I don't think she was very happy back then.

As for Balthazaar, he claims he had a normal, happy childhood. Though he lived in a crowded house and his family was far from rich, they all loved and supported eachother. I think Balthazaar's biggest problem in his youth was his impulsivity. He was bad-tempered and quick to throw punches, and ultimately this got him into huge trouble as an adult. I think Balthazaar's parents were stretched thin with their jobs and too many kids, so maybe Balthazaar didn't get as much attention as he needed. He meant well, but he was kind of a troublemaker.

Skel speaks fondly of his life with the Barhatian royal family. Though he was technically a slave, the family never treated him like one. Instead, the king and queen treated him like one of their own children. He lived a charmed life, or so he thought. Maybe he was a little spoiled, but overall he was a happy and carefree boy...very much a contrast to the bitter, neurotic man he grew up to be! In his youth he was known for being sweet, mischievious, and romantic. It's a shame that life beat these qualities out of him later on.

I don't think Javaan ever really got to be a kid. From the day he was born, he learned that the world was harsh and unfair, and there was no time for games. His mother taught him empathy. She told him that a loveless, degenerate existence is not worth surviving for; It's love that makes life worth living. Javaan really took that to heart, so even in his most desperate moments, he tried to show mercy and kindness to others. I imagine Javaan was a good-hearted boy who was forced to commit bad behaviors by his circumstances, but ultimately that's what motivated him to seek a better life as an adult.

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[loominggaia]

BALTHAZAAR VALENTINO

(More under cut. WARNING: the following text contains spoilers for the Looming Gaia series.)

Name: Balthazaar Valentino

Place of Origin: Rodanga of Midland Savannah, Serkel

Date of Birth: Winter, 5962

Species: Human

Occupation: Rancher (former), Yerim-Mor Soldier (former), Mercenary

Known Relatives: Talzihaar Valentino (brother), Naima Valentino (sister-in-law), Riza Valentino (niece), Eleza Valentino (niece), Alzira Valentino (niece), Izkubaar Valentino (brother), Rezera Valentino (sister-in-law), Azadora Valentino (niece)

First Appearance: “Steel Knuckle Squad”

History: Balthazaar was born to a happy, normal family in Rodanga. He was on track to have a happy, normal adulthood until his 18th birthday, when he had a little too much to drink and got into a fight with a Matuzan soldier. Balthazaar punched the man in the head, crippling him with permanent brain damage. The soldier’s friends ran Balthazaar out of town, and he was forced to leave Matuzu Kingdom altogether.

He fled to Yerim-Mor Kingdom and got a job working at an old warlock’s ranch. When the warlock died, Balthazaar inherited his property and all of his valuable animals. He exchanged one of these animals for a beautiful Morite wife, an elfenne named Feredil. Balthazaar lied to Feredil’s parents, convincing them he was a wealthy Matuzan landowner and promising their daughter a life of luxury.

In reality, Balthazaar was far from rich. But he had finally obtained a house and a wife, and it seemed he would get his happy, normal life after all…until he tried to slaughter one of the animals, and it transformed into the corpse of a person! It turned out the old warlock earned his wealth by transforming innocent people into livestock.

Balthazaar and Feredil were forced to abandon their new home, fearing they would be arrested for the warlock’s crimes. Balthazaar joined the Morite military to earn his citizenship, then later defected to become a mercenary.

Personality: A simple man with simple dreams, all Balthazaar wants is a normal blue-collar life. But life had other plans, and this “average Joe” always finds himself in bizarre situations. He seems to be cursed with bad luck, yet he can’t help but keep gambling.

Balthazaar is willing to work hard to get what he wants. When he’s not working, he spends his leisure time on hedonistic activities like smoking, gambling, drinking, and pornography. He is not a high-brow individual, nor is he particularly intelligent, but he is certainly a loyal friend.

He takes pride in his Rodangi heritage and embraces its small-town values. Most problems can be solved with fists, according to him, and he sees no point in complicating life with philosophy. Balthazaar is not a man of words or thought, but a man of action.

TRIVIA

Favorite Food(s): Ham rolls. Fried chicken. Beer.

Favorite Color(s): Gold.

Favorite Animal(s): Rhinoceros.

Hobbies/Skills: Boxing. Wrestling. Ranching. Butchering. Gambling. Watching horse racing.

Religious Affiliation(s): Arjukist.

Likes: Cigars. Sports. Fried food. Big-breasted women.

Dislikes: Snobby people. Doing laundry. Cooking. Cleaning. Snakes. Scorpions.

Gender Identity/Pronouns: Man. He/Him.

Sexual Orientation: Attracted to females.

Medical Record: Obesity. Hypertension. Alcoholism. Depression.

Other Trivia: 

He wears several gold rings in his ears, which he intends to be sold to pay for his funeral.

After Feredil’s death, he began wearing one of her earrings to keep part of her with him.

His father was a barber and his mother was a homemaker.

He often cheated on Feredil because she was cold to him, but came to regret this after her death.

SEE ALSO

Ask - Balthazaar

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[loominggaia]

I don't mean this in a whiney way but I just think it's interesting that Balthazar dresses in an Arabian style while Azadora's outfit is more english. Is there a lore reason for this or just their preference?

I don't think that's whiny at all, it's a legitimate question! Azadora dresses more like an Evangelite or Folkvaran because that's the popular style in the region she's most familiar with (Noalen).

I imagine it's much easier to find clothing in this style, so that's what Balthazaar buys for her. He wants her to fit in with other kids she meets in this land.

As for Balthazaar, he usually dresses in Rodangese fashion because it's what he's more familiar with. I imagine Noalish styles feel foreign to him.

If Azadora remembered her life in Rodanga, she would probably dress like Balthazaar. But Noalen is all she knows after her amnesia.

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