The greatest tragedy of Rays closing down is we'll never get to see Wingul get seasonal outfits.
Like don't get me wrong I am incredibly grateful the Chimeriad got a couple of costumes here and there (thanks mainly to Drama CDs, and Asteria bringing them over). But I'd be lying if I said I'm not disappointed we didn't get more.
I think what makes it the hardest is that Rays actually made me hopeful we'd get Wingul (& other Chimeriad) contents. It added Agria a few years ago and I loved what it did with her. Other games got their antagonists (and even NPCs!) regularly being added. Unlike with other gacha which barely did anything with non-party members, the possibility was right there, it was just a matter of time! ...Except it never happened in the end. And this hurts more than having no expectation to begin with.
I drew a sketch for this artwork 3 years ago and only this year I’ve finally got around to finish it.
(It also happens to be my xillia halloween AU, so you can check out the thread on my twitter)
Track #3: The Chimeriad and the Hot Springs Inn (3)
The party enjoy their stay while the Chimeriad work hard.
Script under read more.
Rowen: These hot springs live up to the rumors. I am in heaven.
Alvin: Wouldn't you be happier if they were mixed baths, Jude?
Jude: Stop teasing me.
Rowen: I must say I was surprised to run into the Chimeriad in a place we visited to rest.
Jude: They seem to be on some mission, but I wonder what it is. They didn't seem dangerous.
Alvin: Isn't that because you always try to see the good in people?
Jude: That's not it! Anyway, it didn't seem like they were here to cause trouble.
Rowen: Maybe they actually came here to rest as well.
Alvin: In that case, they would have come as customers.
Rowen: I don't think they would have chosen their current lifestyle if they could just do that on a whim.
Alvin: Poor them.
Jude: Are you done?
Alvin: No, I'm just gonna check out the open-air bath. You two can just relax here.
Jude: I didn't know Alvin liked hot springs so much.
Rowen: Or maybe he has a reason he wants to be alone.
Alvin: Excuse me.
Presa: How can I help you?
Alvin: There's something I'd like to ask.
Presa: I won't answer.
Alvin: Hey now, I'm the customer here. You should hear me out.
Presa: Stop joking.
Alvin: I'm not. We're just passing guests and inn staff, remember? Let's be friends, like the old man said.
Presa: What do you want?
Alvin: How can I get to the open-air bath?
Presa: Go down this hallway and take the last door to the left.
Alvin: Thanks. By the way, this yukata is a bit small... Don't you have a bigger one?
Presa: Understood, I will bring a larger one to the changing area.
Alvin: Please do, oh rumored pretty waitress.
Presa: As you wish.
Alvin: That was nice. Open-air baths are fun to use from time to time. Oh, Presa did bring me a new yukata. EHH!? What the heck is that?
Agria: Why are they here?
Milla: Agria! Do you have a moment?
Agria: What? If it isn't old granny Maxwell!
Milla: Aren't we supposed to be employees and customers?
Agria: Lady Maxwell... Do you need something?
Milla: Yes. I see many intriguing objects in this room. I don't understand what they are for. I'd like you to tell me what this thing is.
Agria: You don't even know that?
Milla: Alvin told me he was going to teach me fun things to do here, so I was waiting for him, but... I saw him run off wearing a floral yukata.
Agria: What the heck?
Milla: He looked very angry. Well, he is a man with many secrets; he must have his reasons. I was thinking of going back to my room, but will you teach me instead?
Agria: No way. Who would... No, wait.
Okay, I'll teach you.
Milla: Really? Thank you.
Agria: This is a game you play with this ball and paddle.
Milla: Oh? So all I have to do is hit the ball back, right?
Agria: Yes. If you can. *serves ball*
Milla: Wind Blade!
Agria: AAAAAH!!! What the heck are you doing?
Milla: I just hit the ball back... was that wrong?
Agria: I told you to use the paddle! Were you listening?
Milla: Oh, right. I forgot. Let's try again. *serves ball, which hits Agria's forehead* So we have to defeat the opponent with the ball, right?
Agria: Of course not. Why did you aim it straight at me?
You're supposed to make it bounce on the other side of the net.
Milla: I see. I didn't know about that rule. Humans come up with the most interesting things. All right. Like this?
Agria: You're slow on the uptake!
Jude: Hey, Rowen...
Rowen: What is it, Jude?
Jude: Look at Milla and Agria...
Rowen: Oh my, that's quite the match.
Jiao: Oh, you two. Good timing!
Jude: Jiao?
Jiao: We offer cold milk to guests who come out of the baths. Would you like some? It's refreshing when drunk in one go with a hand on your hip.
Jude: Thank you.
Jiao: We also have coffee milk and fruits milk.
Rowen: Milk is the best after a hot bath. Thank you very much.
Jiao: Put your hand on your hip and gulp it on one go. Here.
Jude: It's like Jiao is really an employee of this inn.
Rowen: Let's drink, Jude. Milk has a special taste after a bath.
Milla: Is that all?
Agria: Damn it! One more! I won't let you run!
Elize: Leia, eavesdropping is bad.
Leia: I know, but Agria and the others are probably planning something. I'm worried.
Teepo: Leia's the most worrisome here.
Elize: Teepo!
Leia: Okay, this is the room. Juuust a bit.
Agria: I'm beat. Why did I have to play with Maxwell?
Presa: Don't complain. That's part of your job.
Jiao: By the way, I saw Alvin running around wearing a woman's yukata. He has strange hobbies...
Presa: Don't worry about him. He's like that when he goes to hot springs.
Jiao: Really?
Wingul: Let's begin the meeting. The new menu Jiao came up with when he joined the kitchen staff is very popular.
Presa: That's true. A lot of women have been ordering it.
Wingul: Even the regulars are excited about it.
Jiao: I'm glad.
Wingul: And sales for the sweets menu Agria proposed are steadily increasing.
Agria: Naturally.
Presa: That was a good idea. Besides, the names you chose are very cute.
Jiao: Agria's good at picking up cute names.
Agria: Shut up, twit.
Presa: I've been wondering, wouldn't it be possible to give people who don't spend the night access to the hot springs? If they enjoy it, they might book a room next time.
Jiao: I see. In that case, how about offering an option with lunch?
Agria: Like just a footbath?
Wingul: Good idea. I will submit a new plan to the owner.
Elize: They're all talking about their job seriously.
Teepo: They work better than Leia.
Leia: It's frustrating, but I can't argue.
Elize: Maybe they could even work at your inn.
Teepo: It'd be like a dream competition.
Leia: All right! But I won't lose!
Teepo: She's serious about it.
Elize: That would be really nice.
I take great satisfaction in knowing that Wingul takes the production of counterfeit Gaius products very seriously. What a good CD drama. Oh my goodness, I didn’t know I needed some of those character interactions. Agria and Milla was surprisingly entertaining.
I also enjoyed Wingul’s tone throughout the tracks. It’s ... softer? I don’t get the brooding undertone I often hear when I hear his voice.
You know, we often think of the Chimeriad's relationship with the party in terms of the specific party member they're sorta "tied" to, but I've been thinking of other dynamics that would have been really good to explore.
An obvious one would be to develop Wingul and Elize's relationship more bc boosters, and tbh I was a bit disappointed when Wingul's side story had her interact with Nils instead of Wingul (esp since the game seemed to imply she knew him back them). (Like don't get me wrong, I love Nils, but he kinda took over Wingul's own side story and that's something I'm quite salty about actually.)
But it would have been really interesting to see Elize interact with Presa as well, about how they each handle their feelings of betrayal, or their situations as orphans, and their need to be loved (romantically or platonically).
Meanwhile Wingul, I think, as a lot in common with Leia. On the surface they're nothing alike, but they're both dealing with deep-seated insecurity issues--the need to be useful at all costs, even when that's not what their loved ones want or need from them.
I would have wanted Agria to remember Rowen as one of the few who treated her kindly among the Rashugal nobles when she was a child.
Jiao and Alvin, and how their mothers was everything to them, how they both survived as best as they could with the hand they were dealt, how they've tried/are trying to move past the bad things they've done and be better.
There's just a lot of good things to develop with those two groups. I wish the Chimeriad were still around for the sequel so we could see a little of that, tho knowing X2, they would have been kept to their pre-set relationships, but a girl can dream... At least there's fic 😆
