Stephanie O'Brien
  • Home
    • About Stephanie
    • Privacy Policy
  • Stories
    • Novels >
      • The Silent Fugitive Series >
        • My Fugitive
        • Voice of a Silent Fugitive
        • Silent Fugitive: The Complete Series
      • Heroic Lies
      • Catgirl Roommate
    • Short Stories >
      • The Aristocrats and the Beasts
      • Upholding the Covenant
      • The Echoes In Our Heart
      • Living Through You
    • Fanfiction >
      • Undertale - Just Cause >
        • Just Cause, Chapter 2
        • Just Cause, Chapter 3
        • Just Cause, Chapter 4
        • Just Cause, Chapter 5
        • Just Cause, Chapter 6
        • Just Cause, Chapter 7
        • Just Cause, Chapter 8
        • Just Cause, Chapter 9
        • Just Cause, Chapter 10
        • Just Cause, Chapter 11
        • Just Cause, Chapter 12
        • Just Cause, Chapter 13
        • Just Cause, Chapter 14
        • Just Cause, Chapter 15
        • Just Cause, Chapter 16
        • Just Cause, Chapter 17
        • Just Cause, Chapter 18
      • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand >
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 2
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 3
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 4
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 5
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 6
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 7
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 8
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 8
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 9
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 10
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 11
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 12
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 13
        • Skyrim - Your Truth Cannot Stand, Chapter 14
      • Farscape - Means to an End
      • Don't Starve - Four Times I Begged Them
      • Avengers Endgame - Baby Pictures: How Endgame Should Have Ended
      • Subnautica Below Zero - It Will Be Okay
      • Subnautica Below Zero - Regrets of Sellswords and Scientists
      • Subnautica Below Zero - Naked Secrecy
      • Subnautica Below Zero - I Wish You Were​
      • Wakfu - Echoes of Bitter Comfort
    • Undertale Webcomic - Just Cause
  • Art & Commissions
    • Commissions
    • NFTs
    • Undertale Fan Art
    • Farscape pictures
  • Merch
    • Pride flag art
    • Abstract art
    • Symmetrical art
    • Floral art
    • Animal and People Art
    • Text Art
  • Videos
    • Art Videos
    • All Farscape Videos
    • Funny Farscape Videos
    • Peaceful Farscape Videos
    • Energetic Farscape Videos
    • Farscape Songs
    • Undertale Videos
    • Extended Songs
  • Patreon & Ko-Fi
    • Patreon
    • Ko-Fi
  • Contact
  • Blog

Ready to Leave the Past Behind: An Analysis of the Ending of "Subnautica: Below Zero"

29/6/2021

0 Comments

 
This post includes MAJOR spoilers for the end of Subnautica: Below Zero.

I’ve seen a few people complain about how, at the end of the game, it seems like Robin Ayou just throws her whole past life away to run off into the unknown with a person she recently met.

This is a valid concern; she clearly has a job, at least one friend who was willing to risk pissing off Alterra to help her, and – assuming he’s still alive – her dead sister’s cat. It wouldn’t be right to pretend all that doesn’t matter just because she spent a few weeks playing build-a-buddy, especially given that she promised Cal she’d find her way back.

But there are several pieces of lore and dialogue that make me think flying away with Al-An is both the most sensible and the most in-character thing for Robin to do – IF she first says goodbye to her friends and retrieves her cat.

1. Getting yeeted into the unknown is normal for her.

In the voicelog “Minerals galore”, Robin says, “I didn't want another situation like Byzantos-5. When XenoWorx dropped me off, there were barely any resources. I survived off the land for three months with just a knife, my lucky PDA, and some rope. I am still kind of proud of that, though.”

XenoWorx also promises that Alterra buying a controlling stake will give them “More equipment. More research. More risk. More experimentation.” The fact that “more risk” is listed as a selling point says a lot about the type of people who sign up there. And speaking of said buyout…

2. Robin has some damn good reasons NOT to go back.

Robin never trusted Alterra. She knew they’d clip her wings, and she expressed concern that they’d “Alterrorize” her sister. After what she learned during her exploration of 4546B – an exploration that would probably get her in deep, expensive trouble if Alterra found out – she has even more reason to believe that if they get the chance, they’ll clip her wings, misuse her work, or both – or worse.

And now that they own a controlling stake in XenoWorx, they have that chance.

It’s implied that Alterra has already killed her enjoyment of working with XenoWorx. Consider the following bit of dialogue:

Al-An: Do all humans like work?
Robin: The lucky ones do.
Al-An: Are you lucky?
Robin: I used to think I was.

Before Alterra got involved, her leaving her old life behind would’ve seemed off. Now, it seems more like sensible self-preservation.

3. Even if she DOES ultimately go home, it makes sense for her to leave with Al-An.

For one thing, her friend is potentially about to face either the loss or the wrath of their entire species, and she wants to support them through that painful period.

And for another, as she explicitly states, she doesn’t have another ride. She was probably originally planning to leave via the same shuttlecraft she came on, but then the meteor she was using to hide from Alterra split and ended that ship’s whole career.

So it is quite possible that she’ll go home and resume her old life, but personally, I much prefer the idea that she’ll do what she said she was ready to do, and leave the past behind.

Collect Potato, say goodbye to her friends (or, even better, find a way to stay in touch), and then leave Alterra in the dust to go do what she loves most: explore the universe (or at LEAST, the Architect homeworld) and discover cool lifeforms, this time with a sapient space-faring alien at her side.

What do you think? Do you want to see Robin Ayou return to her old life, or do you prefer the scenario where she leaves the past behind?
0 Comments

Chapter 11 of "Just Cause", Fanfic Version: Dating WTF?!

27/6/2021

0 Comments

 
The latest chapter of my Undertale fanfic, Just Cause, is out!

In this chapter, Frisk, armed with a fear of adults and a complete lack of dating experience, finds themselves on a date with a skeleton who's just as confused as they are, but who is nonetheless determined to try his best.

You can read it on my website here, or on Archive of Our Own here.
0 Comments

Naked Secrecy - A Subnautica: Below Zero Fic

24/6/2021

0 Comments

 
Me: *Decides to write a funny fluff piece about a moment of interspecies awkwardness.*

The story: "OR this could be an exploration of the impact the characters' respective cultures have had on their current desires, perspectives and emotional states."

Me: "...Both. Both is good."

Subnautica: Below Zero spoilers ahead...


​
In my new short story, Naked Secrecy, Al-An accidentally walks in on Robin when she's naked. Her reaction bewilders the perpetually unclothed Architect, and sparks a conversation about how their different cultures shaped them.

​You can read the story on my website here, or on AO3 here.
0 Comments

Subnautica: Below Zero Fanfic: "Regrets of Sellswords and Scientists"

15/6/2021

0 Comments

 
After seeing how well It Will Be Okay was received, I decided to share another of my Subnautica: Below Zero stories.

Spoilers ahead...


I was playing around with "What if?"s, and I thought: "What if Marguerit Maida had answered Al-An's distress call?

The image began with an ominous scene in which Marguerit stood on top of an ice cliff, inches from the edge.

And then, as the story developed, I was startled to realize just how much the crusty mercenary and the softspoken scientist had in common.

You can read the story on this website here, or on Archive of Our Own here.

And if you want to read my original novels, you can find them here.
0 Comments

Subnautica: Below Zero Fanfic: "It Will Be Okay"

13/6/2021

0 Comments

 
I recently finished the main quest of Subnautica: Below Zero, and WOW, that ending! It left me feeling so inspired that I banged out a 3k-word fic in the course of about 3 hours... and for once, my intended short story actually stayed a short story instead of growing into a novella, haha.

The following contains major spoilers for the game, especially its ending, so if you're avoiding those, this fic and this post aren't for you... at least, not yet. ;)
 
 
 
Spoilers ensue...
 
 
 
As I was playing, I fell in love with the relationship between Robin and Al-An. They play off each other so well, and some of their dialogue was just adorable - especially the conversation about poetry and hope.

It got me thinking about what would probably happen to them after they escaped the planet - both in the short term, and decades in the future, when the difference between their lifespans began to make itself known.

In my new fanfiction, It Will Be Okay, Robin is nearing the end of a long and adventurous life. She's content with what she's experienced and is ready to let go, but no matter how much she tries to reassure them, Al-An isn't ready to say goodbye to the person who saved their life and helped them recover from the loss of everything they loved.

You can read the fic on this website here, or read it on Archive of Our Own.
0 Comments

Rainbow Snowfall

3/6/2021

0 Comments

 
I don't quite remember who, but one of the people who was looking at my snowflake patterns had a great suggestion: take a bunch of the snowflakes I've already drawn, and combine them into one pattern.

It took me a while to get around to doing it - too busy making new snowflakes and other art, haha - but I finally did it, and I'm glad I did!
​  
Picture
 
​If you'd like to get this artwork on physical items like clothes, accessories and home decor, here are a few of your options:
 
Picture
 
​​Here are the links to the items in the collage:
​
​Face Masks
Stickers
Floor Pillows
Throw Blankets
​Dresses
Skirts
Phone Cases & Skins
Towels
Tapestries
Shower Curtains
Coffee Mugs

Duffel Bags
Apple Watch Bands

You can see all the RedBubble items with this artwork here.

To see more products with this picture on Society6, check out this art print, then scroll down to where it says "More featuring this artwork".
0 Comments

    Author

    Stephanie is the author of My Fugitive, Voice of a Silent Fugitive, Heroic Lies, and Catgirl Roommate, as well as the artist behind the Undertale webcomic Just Cause.

    This blog often updates with new stories and artwork, so please keep checking in!

    Categories

    All
    Art
    Art Tips
    Behind The Scenes
    Comic Dubs
    Don't Starve
    Excerpt
    Fan Art
    Fanfiction
    Farscape
    Flash Fiction
    Humor
    Interactive
    Just Cause
    Madoka Magica
    MCU
    Music
    Music Videos
    Observations And Opinions
    Other People's Blog Posts
    Personal Stories
    Poetry
    Print On Demand
    Reviews
    Romance Writing Tips
    Special Opportunities
    Subnautica
    The Elder Scrolls
    Underfell
    Undertale Fan Art
    Updates About My Novels
    Videos
    Wakfu
    Works In Progress
    Writing Tips

    Archive

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly