couching this story in an email exchange was something i decided extremely last minute, but i think it helps to flesh out the world a little. i also think it specifically helps to build up the next story just a little. anyway, bass was not a character i wrote, but the person who did write them did such an otherworldly, godly job of it that it's just one of those permanent lenses. yes, bass WAS a huge faggot that was hugely of the homosex for rock, and yes, this did ruin his life. in a lot of ways, bass was one of the true emotional cores of BNW as a project. and, like, a huge theme of the project was indeed "hey it's actually probably pretty fucked up that some of these people have been fighting for their whole lives and some of them you could reasonably call child soldiers"
rock is seen as a pretty happy dude. prime era capcom certainly liked to put a certain joy into his sprite work and art for shit like mvc2. but... like... would he be happy?
rock seems really tragic to me and i know i'm not alone on this if all the comics and music projects are anything to go off of. like if i had a nickel for every band that made music about mega man being sad about killing, i would have two nickles, and i would shove both of them up my ass
here's some art the bass writer drew. please cry about it. this is honest to god one of my favorite things in all of art. fuck youy
oh yeah also i had fun with the email chain in this. harpuia and phantom being all weird and formal and political-maneuvery and x is just like "lmao i raised some nerdy kids. can u pls be less CIA"