Fratley’s unfinished plotline is probably the result of limitations of the ps1 and perhaps pressure on the development team to cut out larger story/quest lines for characters in the game, but even without taking all that into account his ending with Freya is still, on its own, tragic and unfulfilling. Even at the very end of the game Frately hasn’t regained all his memories and we still don’t know the cause. There’s some theories that Beatrix is to blame for it but I like your concept of it being Kuja and his magic to wipe Frately’s memories.

It’s interesting that not just the continental map but also the world map have notes from Fratley on them. It’s certainly possible that Fratley traveled to the Outer Continent. Maybe he encountered Kuja while exploring the Mist Continent and followed him to the Desert Palace. We know Kuja was skulking around Alexandria and twirling about in Treno so Fratley could have bumped into him and his evildoings. I could see Fratley actually posing a physical threat to Kuja, simply because Fratley refuses to go down easily, so Kuja gets the man off his back, wiping his memory. Leaving the Burmecian to wander the continent unsure of who he even is.

I just wish we had more about Fratley and thus, more importantly, Freya. The later quarter of the game (from Desert Palace to Ipsen Castle) just doesn't feel as nicely paced, or balanced with character moments, as the first half of the game. I feel like we could have gotten some nice character development for Freya using Burmecia and Frately before heading off to the Desert Palace or before Ipsen’s Castle. I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before but it could have even been a good sidequest. Giving the player the choice to go deeper in Burmecia and Freya after the war. But additionally content wasn’t something the developers could work on or throw in the game willy nilly back in the day and ffix went through so many drafts and editing that the story and game that exists as it does today is exactly what the developers were capable of creating at the time.

Hey rendar, I'm sorry this took so goddamn long lol 😅

So, a headcanon.

So the Wookieepedia for Devaronians says, "Devaronians ... exhibited great sexual dimorphism, with the males being bald and sporting horns, and the hornless females displaying a full head of hair."

Frankly I think whoever looked at hairless/horns vs hornless/hair plus human-typical sexual dimorphism and decided that that was actually A Lot of dimorphism was doing us all a disservice and also probably never looked at any real-world examples of "great sexual dimorphism" in animal species other than humans. (Look up angler fish, for example.) 😤 So anyways, I Decided that this was an opportunity to push both my biology nerdery and my Big Ladies agenda, so:

Rendar! You really have an impressive knack for understanding and writing the lesser-known and alien characters of the SW universe. Your work is a real inspiration—definitely keep it up. And you seem like a really swell person, too! So glad I could get to know you and your stories. 🙂

Black Waltzes are probably the most tragic characters in the game to me. They are true puppets of war. What Vivi and the other black mages could have become, what Zidane could have become, what Steiner could have become, if they did not have each other. They cannot define their existence beyond what they were created to do. In a way, they are more childlike than even Vivi. They are newly created beings, designed by Zorn and Thorn, who know nothing of the world. The only thing they know is that they must bring the Princess back home and they must kill everyone in their path who tries to stop them. There’s nothing else. They are designed to be more powerful and superior to the other more common Black Mages. And they are born with such awareness. In a way, they are a strange trio of elite child soldiers. They know nothing of the world and so they follow the only thing they do know, the mission from their creators. It’s so upsetting when Black Waltz No. 3 can do nothing but repeat the one truth he knows - as if he’s trying to find another reason for existence after witnessing Vivi and the other Black Mages reject their origins.

favorite thing about them: His bravery. In the face of so much Vivi continues walking. Loneliness, Existentialism, War, Fear, Death. He finds a way to keep looking forward, with the help and support of his friends. I find myself clinging to his courage even more recently compared to the first time I played. The past year has been so hard on everyone and I think Vivi's journey shows a way of finding peace in the face of the darkness that comes with the light of life.

least favorite thing about them: Nothing. Vivi is perfect. When Vivi cries I cry. When he's happy? I am happy. When he dies I d-

favorite line: "My memories will be part of the sky." Also "Hey Zidane, can we go see Dagger?" because its such a perfect innocent question and foil for Zidane at that moment.

brOTP: Steiner and Vivi-SAMA. Steiner had Vivi for 2 seconds and was immediately like: my child, my master, my rolemodel, my reason for living in these blonde monkey and runaway princess inflicted times. Also this scene on Disc 3:

Steiner at literally everyone: wHY ARE YOU HOOLIGANS AT THE CASTLE YOU CANNOT BE-

Vivi in all his sweet adorable goodness glory: Hi Mister Steiner can we see Dagger ♪(´▽｀)

Steiner RIPPING THE DOORS OPEN: MASTER VIVI OF COURSE!!!! MAY I GET YOU THE RED CARPET? OUT OF THE WAY YOU PEASANTS MASTER VIVI WISHES TO ENTER THE CASTLE AND SEE THE PRINCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also in celebration of Time to Shine Thursday, I would like to shout out to a superb and very recently posted Rogue One vignette by @rendar-writes:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33363472

Thanks so much for asking! (List is here!)

3. a character that fandom has helped you appreciate

There are several! I’ve gotten to know and love Depa Billaba thanks to @independence1776. I was introduced to that loveably laconic big lug Durge by @uncannyzuck. I appreciate Luke and Mara much more because of @jadelotusflower. And I always enjoy your stories’ portrayals of the various Rodian characters. And that’s naming only a few! 😁

4. say something nice about a ship you don’t ship (it can be another ship in your fandom, a mutual’s OTP, etc)

I’m going to take “don’t ship” in this context to mean not “is considered a NOTP by me” but more like “don’t know a lot about or have strong opinions about because I’m either not in their fandom or not in that particular sector of my own fandom.” I see Obitine material occasionally cross my dash, and I have to say I see why people are drawn to them; they have very much the classic “princess and her guardsman fall in love” vibe to them.

7. your favorite tropes to read/write/draw