this is actually one i really like and it's set in recovery arc although i don't think it has a lot of spoilers ☝ so that's neat. i wrote it down mostly in one random day several weeks ago bc i wanted to write something for espa and it is not very thought-out but regardless. #myselfindulgence
here is a snippet:
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Espa chugged off the dirty clothes, annoyed. Sethie’s house (their house, they tried to remember, because they’d given it to it and Guy, technically) was nice. It had big wardrobes and a wide showerbox and she could get cleaned there—after she got rid of this fucking mud. They did not appreciate getting dumped into the lake. Did not appreciate Sethie’s little gang of associates pushing them around like a toy. This was his fault, they knew. They weren’t supposed to get frustrated. His demeanor was rubbing off on them. They couldn’t find themself to be too upset about that.
The guilty, an awkward affect on his face, sat on the couch with his own, dry clothes. He’d gotten wet too, though not as thoroughly. Extra clothing and a towel had been all he needed. Sethie was leaned against the sofa with a hand muffling their mouth, trying not to giggle. Espa shot them a glare.
“Seth, gather yourself,” one of the adults working with them chastished, getting a stifled sound to leave their lips. She sounded very, very done. Espa could relate. She was holding out a towel for it, which it appreciated, and looking apologetic about the whole trip. After this, Espa decided that they did not like the agency’s attempts at “bonding opportunities” very much. “I am sorry,” she was saying, for the thousandth time. It was odd being apologized at so many times in a row. It was more used to those coming out of its mouth. She picked up the dirty overcoat—it was light and they liked it and they were trying to not get very frustrated at needing to have it washed (when did they become so spoiled? Yes, definitely Guy’s fault, though Sethie was probably also to blame)—and expertly folded it on a single hand. Espa was just about to take off its tank top when it heard the gasps.
--
THIS IS ACTUALLY SO SPECIAL TO ME because how far does espa have to come to be able to just be casually pissed off like that <3 this is actually still pretty short bc that day i was just hopping from one doc to another with zero commitment but it was quite fun. espa ❤
21, Bonus question: share any additional thoughts, art, favourite scenes, anything you've been waiting for a chance to ramble about
18, Does the character have other characters connected to them? Do you have a family tree and "offscreen" connections made up for them or do they exist in a vacuum purely for the purpose of the story?
12, Do you have a playlist for the character? What songs do you associate with them and why?
2, How long was the process before the character reached its final version? (or a version that would be clearly recognizable as the character?)
For Espa :))
[ask game here]
2. How long was the process before the character reached its final version? (Or a version that would be clearly recognizable as the character?)
Not very long! Especially if compared to some others.
They were created around January I think? I know I wanted to make and write a story, and write it soon, so I decided to rush past planning to actually get into the writing part. That's why this setting doesn't have any magic by the way 😔 I knew I'd be to caught up in creating it and polishing it and wouldn't start writing anytime soon lmao. So that's why her planning era is much shorter than of some other characters from other wips.
iirc, I had an idea of making living weapons with actual weapon names, and then she showed up in my head. I didn't really have ideas for the plot or setting then, but the initial ideas were "living weapon" "girl-ish" and "aromantic", and also "bubbly smiley persona" and "compulsive alloromanticism", which I've ended up throwing away since I didn't vibe with the concepts much. Espa was originally going to give more happy go-lucky cheerful vibes but I ended up settling for something a bit more quiet and stoic.
[id in alt]
This was the first thing I had for it! Well, the second, actually. The first is a doodle in... one of my notebooks, whichever that might be, and I doodled it on my laptop when I got the chance. They were black and white, but I knew I wanted the cape to be yellow already lol. The base for this design was just the result of me mindlessly doodling and ending up with a fun silouette.
So yeah! Espa overall didn't change that much nor took that long to.
12. Do you have a playlist for the character? What songs do you associate with them and why?
Not really. I'm not one to think of characters and songs together, though I do know Espa would love having a way to hear music all to itself. I am giving them earphones at some point dw they'll get that at least 🙏 I do think of them and Ciça when I hear Verdade Oculta by Jorge Vercillo though. I'm not completely sure of the reason. Maybe it's the. The lines about the gods getting them together to love themelves. And the "they sent me to be happy/and if you haven't noticed yet/they also did the same to you." Roughly translated. Yknow. It's. Idk it's nice. I also don't doubt Ciça does actually listen to this song.
18. Does the character have other characters connected to them? Do you have a family tree and "offscreen" connections made up for them or do they exist in a vacuum purely for the purpose of the story?
Yup! ^^ As far as biological family goes, there are only unnamed parents and a grandmother, but Espa has some friends amongst the other weapons, in fact! Some which haven't showed up in the story yet or won't really make an appearence:
Sabre - Easily its best friend. He is the second best weapon of Sector N-3 (the Dove divides their 'territory' into eleven sectors and assigns a bunch of weapons and handlers to each. Espa doesn't go in many missions outside of N-3, for example). Unlike Espa, who is a prime example of a well-behaved weapon, Sabre is known to be more... difficult. He lashes out when he's annoyed, he drags his feet to carry out orders and is always talking back. Weren't it for his skills, he'd been refurbished ages ago. He does know when to keep his mouth shut and obey though, and is incredibly efficient. He isn't exactly defiant, just a little pissy. Still loyal. The only handler who seems to be able to put up with him is Juste, who is a rather um particular man. Despite seeming like polar opposites, he and Espa get along like two waterdrops. His aim is exceptional, and he can shoot in movement or with a single hand.
Lilo - Not particularly outstanding. He is probably one of the weakest, and the only thing keeping him from being refurbished ('thrown away') is his handler, who keeps him around for rather selfish reasons. Lilo does not like said "reasons" by the slighest bit, but he isn't going to complain. It's his handler, after all. He just obeys. And at least it's keeping him from refurbishment, so... Overall, he is always hanging with Espa and Sabre when they're at the facility back from missions. Even compared to her, he is very quiet. Among friends and the ones he can trust, he is more assertive and has a rotten sense of humor. He's a certified pretty boy and his friends are always looking out for him.
Juste - Not exactly a friend, but he's going here. He's Espa's favorite handler, actually! He is a bit (very) manipulative and believed in giving treats and rewards instead of just punishment. His are also especially cruel. He's very good at training weapons.
Especial mention: Xander - Most of the weapons call him Mr. X. He is, without a shadow of doubt, the handler Espa hates the most. It absolutely despises him and he might be the only person that makes it angry to put up with. And for Espa that's surely something. He is very cruel and strict, not deliberate like Juste and not careless like Ann, and also takes personal delight in tormenting Lilo in particular. He's. Yeah, they don't like him very much.
my favorite side drabble is with juste and sabre 😌 it takes place a bit after the first arc, but doesn't contain many relevant spoilers. (veeery subtly slides it here)
I'm also half wanting to make a little side story...... just focusing on Espa alongside their friends.....yknow itd be fun. It would also feature a character named Rífe which I'm still not very solid around but might be another friend.
21. Bonus question: share any additional thoughts, art, favourite scenes, anything you've been waiting for a chance to ramble about.
:DDD
Okay so, one of the things I've been thinking about is....huge fucking spoilers so let's let that slide (for now).
THE OTHER
Is a bit silly right so okay: Every weapon has a file. With their medical information (OH and fun fact espa's blood type is o+) and rank and etc, and to organize them better, each weapon is assigned an ID (like they do in BBU whump by calling all the pets by a number), and I've finally settled on which Espa's is!!!
N3 3108
(So if you search for that in their database Espada's information will show up.)
^the "N3" is there because it is the sector it is assigned to. If Espa was in sector E-2 it'd be "E2 3108" and so on. Sabre's ID also starts with N3, for example. The other numbers are there ^^ because 108 is an important number in Buddhism, right? (It is the amount of desires and temptations in the path to Nirvana, apparently.) So, this is a bit half-assed, but I put it their ID to represent the hardships they'll have to overcome to achieve their healing, growth and peace--their happy ending. It is also the number of times a bell is rang in some places like Japan to welcome the New Years. An important event in Espa's life is gonna be set at new years so I thought it'd be a neat easter egg.
The number "3" is there before the 108, because, well. It is my personal favorite number. I think it's a lucky one. I decided to put it there to serve as kind of a charm. Something to give it good luck :)
