ectobabble
Elevator Pitch: A cynical alien manages a sleazy tourist trap in space after their failed dreams of becoming a painter. They learn that there's more to life than work by interacting with the space hobos, gnomes, and... the intergalactic federation who drop by their rest stop.
Looming Threat: The intergalactic empire, run by an ageless alien named Artifort, is on the lookout for a rogue cyborg scientist named 'Kayla' who owns very important documents that could lead to resistance. Said rogue scientist rebuilds themselves on MatchStick's Station, gives themselves a gender swap, goes by Kyle, and ends up hiding as a barista on the station... bringing unwanted attention from the looming invasion of the Artifort Empire..
Matchstick is the sleazy manager of this 'Tourist Trap'.
Matchstick has always been an aspiring creator, working their entire life to build a brand based on their ideas. Unfortunately, Matchstick has always had very bad luck. As in - nothing goes right in this guy's life.
After a nasty series of events, Matchstick ends up marooned on an asteroid. No ship, little to no resources, and no one else there. They became deliriously depressed, and anxious, and began to have delusions of grandeur.
Matchstick somehow begins building a life for himself. In desperate need of money, Match decided to create a "rest stop" where travelers can get sucked into a gambling den - I mean arcade! - and pay for overpriced food while they gas up their ships.
They end up near bankrupt, forced to borrow money and live with a random stranger who ends up settling on the asteroid as well, Sea Lion. They also end up having to deal with a galactic felon called Kyle, who Matchstick ends up trying to blackmail into becoming the station's barista - it works!
Matchstick still works on their station/rest stop while trying to avoid being jailed for hiding a felon. It doesn't seem to be that bad as the Head Officer seems to have a soft spot for the living match stick.
Sea Lion was a dear friend of Matchstick. They both formed a deep familial connection where Sun saw him almost as a brother, sometimes a stand-in father figure.
He owns the Hobo Hotel, on the Station, where travelers can stay the night, originally build by him and MatchStick, but also was helped by a community of small aliens. The tiny landed on the station one day and saw Sea Lion as a God (and Matchstick as a trickster demon and therefore shunned him) and they carved a waterfall in his image that the hotel is now built into.
He has a beard made of water which is a nod to being the polar opposite of Matchstick. Sea Lion is lucky, happy, carefree, and overall loved by everyone who comes into contact with him. He is the personification of a chill evening with a cup of tea, sighing as it rains outside.
Sea Lion eventually felt a calling to be needed somewhere else in the universe and left Match alone again on the station.
Kyle is a former scientist from the Artifort Empire, known for its militia and god-like leader.
Initially known as Kayla, she was born as a race of aliens specifically created to do more research and development for the empire. Even after her death, the empire brought her back to life and made her continue working after she made a huge breakthrough. After her experience with death, Kayla went rogue and stole the documents, data - everything - she had done and narrowly escaped.
That's when she was shot down and landed at Matchstick's station. There she rebuilt himself the way he always wanted. Finally taking on a new name, new pronouns, and the position of the local barista and bartender... Kyle finally began living life the way he wanted to.
That doesn't mean that the Empire has left. Since Kyle's escape, there has been hyperfocus on conquering the galaxy Matchstick's station is at - and recovering the mysteriously lost documentation.
Greg's Grotto was working title under different name
Above: The First Station | Right: The first Renovations'
The goal of the setup was to show Sunny's gambling den/arcade in the middle. Through the changes
