Elma is the protagonist of X but I think some people downplay how important Lin is as her opposite. Lin is the optimistic, caring kid who just wants things to turn out right for everyone to contrast Elma's "do what must be done" hardened soldier attitude. I love them. I love X
Nothing really hits like Lin standing in the way of Elma's gun, of being the one to make Elma hesitate and tell her to move. Of it happening again and Elma telling Lin point blank she WILL shoot this time.
Nothing will top Lin just being a scared 13 year old trying to do her best in this fucked up world, trying to see the best in everything and everyone; while Elma is who knows how old, a hardened soldier who knows the cost of war and knows no everything can turn out well.
The way they bounce off each other is just TOP TIER and if Elma is the protagonist, I'd argue Lin is the deuteragonist. She heightens the story and Elma as a character, as Elma does in return for her.
An overview of my AU that includes all 4 Xenoblade games! This'll contain the basics of the AU, links to the fic series/the one relation chart in existence/lists of things like species!
Under the cut we go, because this will get long!
This AU is strongly set within the world of X/Mira, with characters/themes/places from the other games coming into play for the sake of keeping things interesting.
Klaus and Galea feature heavily, as well as the Trinity Processor as I'm marrying the past of 1/2/3's worlds to the past of X. I also made the original Moebius AIs, as fun parallels to the Trinity Processor!
Certain ideas from the numbered games are gone. Blades? Don't exist! Gormotti? Added into Wrothians! Giants? Ancestors of the Homs at most! Similarly, Zanza and Meyneth are just used to characterize Klaus and Galea.
Species will join humanity (mimesome version) throughout the AU, and some have set ways thanks to canon or me having a lot of thoughts. Others are still a but muddier, but I am happy to talk about what basic vague ideas I can come up with on the spot (after checking with the bf because he helps develop things when I'm unsure!)
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There are currently 2 completed fics and one in progress fic for this AU! You can read them on Ao3. If there's interest, I'll transfer them here, too!
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Here's an interactive chart for the prologue fics of this AU! I used this to write around and it can give you more information on Klaus, Galea, and Elma as well as the projects they're running!
("Hey B! Where's Pyra? Can't have Mythra without Pyra!" Consider this the AU equivalent to Torna. Pyra is coming soon :D)
More charts will probably be made in the future because I'm addicted but for now this is the only one!
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So, species. Gotta know what species everyone is, right? That's half the fun of an AU like this! Good thing for you I am addicted to charts and lists and made one for just that--
If there's any you're curious about, I'm more than happy to explain! The species someone is OR the role of the species in this AU!
Speaking of Species, have a list of when in the story of Xenoblade X they would join up with NLA/The Mimesome humans!
And that's about it! A quick overview of this AU! If you'd like to know anything, my ask box is open/you can dm me either here on tumblr or for my discord handle if you have a LOT of questions? Sure, sounds good!
Liking all Xenoblades and planning a big AU crossover means I carry the curse of being the smartest man alive and figuring out the best Blade-Driver combos no one alive would ever think of. Pics related.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
When one is crushing on the ex-prince of Wroth, it may be to their advantage to not doodle him while he's standing right there.
Aka I write a really self-induglent fic about Ga Jiarg. "Is the Cross an OC or a Self-Insert" Yes.
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Visiting with the Wrothians was always interesting, their Stronghold was so… different from NLA. Isaac sits there, absorbed in his notebook, trying to remember any bits of his history to write down and try to fill in the blanks around. Elma speaks with Ga Buidhe and Ga Jiarg, while Lin and Tatsu are doing god knows what…
He can’t remember anything, even sitting here… He finds himself peeking at Ga Jiarg, over and over. It had taken a moment to register when they had been fighting each other, Isaac and company fighting tooth and nail to survive… But he was handsome. Very handsome.
He looks back to his notebook and soon enough, finds himself doodling in the margins. He’s not great at art, but when it’s just for him… Well, who cares? He can doodle badly all he wants. Even bad doodles of handsome cat aliens are allowed.
“Are your drawings supposed to be of me?”
Isaac jumps when he realizes Ga Jiarg at some point moved from where Elma and Ga Buidhe stand, instead crouching next to him. He’s staring at the page, at the dumb doodles. Isaac regains his composure, trying to close the notebook.
“Just doodles, sorry, I was bored and just drawing what I saw, and--”
Ga Jiarg snatches the notebook, standing and looking closer at the doodles. “The art of humans is odd. My people’s own is more… abstract. We focus on strong shapes and colors, perhaps the occasional realistic portrait. This is so… squished.”
“That’s because I don’t draw well,” Isaac replies, standing up.
Ga Jiarg looks at him, frowns. “Your art is nice. Though I do not understand what these small shapes are.”
He points at the little hearts Isaac doodled around his badly rendered drawings of Ga Jiarg. Isaac feels like his own heart is about to beat out of his own chest while he thinks about what to say. Come on, come on… He needs an excuse.
“Just little shapes to fill in space,” he lies unconvincingly. “I like my doodles to fill in all the margins.”
“Hmmm,” Ga Jiarg turns towards where Lin and Tatsu seem to be poking about a Wrothian Skell. “You! Young Warrior of Earth!”
Lin perks up and peeks over her shoulder before walking over. Tatsu waddles right behind her, and Isaac has a bad feeling. Getting thirteen year olds involved in anything is always asking for someone to get hurt.
“Yes?” She asks, a smile on her face. “What’s up?”
He points out the little hearts to Lin. “Do these shapes have a meaning to you.”
“Oh, it’s a heart!” Lin claps her hands together. “It’s stylized to be all cute, since actual human hearts aren’t very cute.”
“I see,” Ga Jiarg hums. “And for what reason would one draw them?”
“Well usually,” Lin looks at Isaac and wiggles her eyebrows. “It has romantic connotations.”
Isaac decides it’s him who is going to get hurt thanks to Lin. It doesn’t help that Tatsu starts excitedly asking if Isaac likes kitty cats, too. He sucks in a deep breath, places a hand on his hip and points with his other.
“Lin Lee Koo. Go.”
“Okay, okay,” Lin puts her hands behind her back and grins, mouthing good luck before going back to the Skell, Tatsu following right after.
“You have romantic interest in me?” Ga Jiarg asks, pulling Isaac back to his current situation.
Isaac snatches his notebook back, closing it as quickly as he can. “N… no! Nothing like that! I just doodles hearts and stars when I want to fill in the area, no romantic interest.”
Ga Jiarg leans down, enough that his breath tickles Isaac’s face. “Perhaps that is for the best, especially for you.”
He straightens again and walks back to Elma and Ga Buidhe who both shoot Isaac looks. Neither bad looks, but looks that made him want to curl up on himself, nonetheless. He waits for a moment, trying to remind himself not to get too embarrassed…
He walks over to Lin and Tatsu, refusing to look back at the ex-prince of Wroth, and decides to get some revenge. A little noogie never hurt anyone, even if Lin yells at him that it’s unfair to use his height against her like this.
Oh well, life wasn’t fair. Especially when she nearly gave his stupid crush away in the worst way possible. She could handle some unfairness… Especially when it felt like there were yellow eyes on his back.
Hot take of the day is that X is the funniest Xenoblade if you actually do the sidequests and look at Cross's dialogue options rather than go "buhhhh all they joke abt is Tatsu food"