#but for a puppet who's never really experienced it... they may react the same as a person would to pain | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ginkgomoon · 3 years

Text

Cyril- Character Analysis

This post was based on an ask made a while ago concerning Hypnos’ character. I personally think his appearance enhanced the development of the game for the Winter World chapters, additionally with the depth of MC’s character. Hopefully this post will help clarify some things in relation to who he is and why he is important to the game’s progression. Please enjoy his well-deserved character analysis post. And yes- lots of spoilers! Please don’t read if you don't want to be spoiled on future content from Chapters 19+.

“This is the world you wanted.”

Hypnos first appears in the Epilogue of Chapter 19, when MC escapes her dream (the one with the separate routes of the guys) and begins to enter the Winter World through Black Cabin.

A soft hue appeared amidst this world of frozen white. A handsome, elegant young man walked towards me from the mist. Snow fell upon him, but as if he was protected by some force, none stuck on him. For a moment, I felt that this person looked really familiar, but it was someone I’ve never met. His eyes seemed detached, yet full of pity.

“This world’s pretty interesting, don’t you think?”

I did not sense any direct threat from him, but I was also unable to let my guard down.

“Is this not the world you wanted? You were aware of it long ago. No need to go on deceiving yourself.”

His tone was peaceful, but there was a chill to it that made me shiver.

“In this world, time’s been frozen. Everything you fear hasn't taken place. It was not I who made this world, but you. Everything you have experienced is a product of that which you yearn for the most. If everything could start over, if life could return to normal, if none of this had occurred...”

He saw into my heart effortlessly, tearing down each fragile wall I’d made with each word that he spoke.

The man’s gentle expression turned cold. His smile faded into subdued indifference.

“You think everything you’ve experienced is fake? Everything is real. Everyone in this world had sunken into the same dream. We will forever remain in a dream land.”

The man chuckled gently. Snow and wind blurred his form, blurring my vision. -Chapter 19 (Epilogue)

Some people would probably have the reaction of ??? and others would think he’s a new love interest HAHA.

It’s clear that this section of the chapter does not give much insight into his character, his name or who he is all. But, we can (hopefully) tell from what we are given, that he will play an important role in the future since he has an actual VA, and is (quite confusingly) going on about “the world that she wanted”. Though, this will be all cleared up later. From here, he makes small appearances in the next few chapters, which helps foreshadow and gradually help set the final showdown to conclude the Winter World.

While my mind wandered, I accidentally ran into someone in the corner. Even more unluckily, as I retreated backwards I stepped on a slick patch of ice, almost sending me sprawling.

“Careful.”

A light laughter fell on my ears. Before I could react, I was caught by the person I bumped into.

“Are you okay?”

I looked up and was met with a pair of gentle green eyes. A handsome face filled my vision. For an instant, I felt that he was familiar, and the sight of an ice-covered world seemed to appear before me. He gracefully let go of my wrist in a gentlemanly manner, stepped back to a more appropriate distance. -Chapter 20-17

A man walked out onto a rooftop covered with snow and held out his hand, catching a snowflake falling from the sky. The snowflake in his palm turned into an exquisite, white robin with its eager wings spread as if escaping a prison and flying into the sky.

He looked down from on high, surveying the city blanketed in dazzling white snow, a faint smile on his face.

“Truly something to look forward to- a long cold winter.” -Chapter 21-25

At this point, we still don’t even know who this man is. Or if he even has a name! But finally, the chapter after reveals a little bit more to help us come to somewhat of a conclusion about his character.

Chapter 22-5

The automatic vending machine behind me kept repeating the same sentence. I turned around to find that the machine wasn't on the fritz- there was actually someone continually trying to make a payment. I couldn't help but go over to see if they needed help.

A pair of eyes clear as glass turned on me. Although there was a gentle look in his eyes, there was a subtle feeling of distance.

I suddenly recognised that face! It was that famous piano player- Cyril!

MC: “Excuse me, do you need help?”

A hint of warmth suffused his cold eyes, as he gestured in frustration at the vending machine.

Cyril: “Just want to buy a bottle of water, but I don’t know how to use these machines.”

(*Intense vending machine purchase in process*)

Instead, I decided to just point at the app on my own phone and give him a brief explanation, afraid that I would miss my bus.

MC: “This time, I’ll buy for you. This is the one you want?”

Cyril: “Right, thanks.”

When I accidentally brushed against his long, slender fingertip, there wasn’t even a hint of warmth.

MC: “Your hand is ice cold. How about I buy a warm drink for you?”

He seemed a little hesitant, but he gave a slight nod and accepted my proposal with a smile.

The drink thunked down into the dispenser, and before I could react, he already bent down and retrieved the bottle and mine from the machine.

When he extended the drink to me, I realised that at the bottom, there were two kinds of paper, which appeared to be tickets of some kind.

I lifted them up and carefully looked at them. They were tickets to an upcoming and very sold out piano tour. Moreover, this was for the final VIP performance aboard the HMS (Abbreviated for “Her Majesty’s Ship”) Victoria.

He may not look like it, but he’s actually quite a warm, kind person.

The silver haired man watched as the bus drove away, and the drink in his hand turned solid ice without him noticing.

As snow drifted down around him, a faintly perceptible smile formed on his lips.

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

We find out that the young man’s name is Cyril, a famous piano player. During this exchange, Cyril is taking his time to observe MC and how she’s responding to the Winter World. He appears to be genuinely surprised about MC’s display of kindness, even though she’s been tossed out by the men most important to her, and into a foreign world wreaked of havoc.

He lets MC purchase the warm milk tea for him, and they both talk about the most mundane things ever. This may seem like just filler conversations, but actually holds importance because it actually influences how he views the world and MC in the future.

Cyril then uses this chance to extend his invitations to his sold out piano performance on the HMS Victoria. MC thinks he’s “quite a warm, kind person”- to which, we will find out if she’s wrong later. We also can confirm that he is an Evolver as we watch him turn his drink into solid ice, as well as the same man who was left unidentified in the previous chapters.

Chapter 23-13

??: “At this point, we’re all certain that the one behind this “Eternal Winter” is one of our former members.”

??: “Another traitor?”

??: “One with the power to traverse time and construct dreamscapes. There's only one that it could be.”

??: “The traitor code-named Hypnos?”

With those words, a deathly stillness fell over the air, as if some indescribable darkness had stolen into the room.

True name: Unknown. Age: Unknown. Evol: Time travel, dream construction.

Pitifully few clues to go on, not even a single photograph.

Was that person who trapped me in that dream and the traitor the same? If it was true that everything before happened on another world’s timeline, then does that mean this person had jumped through into this world timeline?

??: “Just what is he planning to do?”

??: “Whatever it is, since he’s a traitor to the organisation, it’s bound to be contrary to our goals. We must put a stop to him.”

??: “Continue the investigation. We must find the satellite coordinates. We cannot let him interfere with our plan.”

If this mystery mastermind had such powerful abilities, then what chance do I have at stopping him?

The hexagonal crystal symbol wasn't a major part of their discussion, but it stuck a faint chord with a hazy part of my memory. I finally remembered- that ticket to the concert!

They consider this powerful Evolver- Hypnos, a traitor to Black Swan and the individual behind the Eternal Winter incident. But nobody knows what he looks like. However, MC notices that the hexagon design is seen similar to the tickets that Cyril gave to her for his performance on the HMS Victoria. She now knows that Cyril is Hypnos, then realises that the satellite launch isn’t on land, but on sea. She knows how to stop the winter from spreading.

Here we automatically assume that he’s another Black Swan bad-guy-turned-traitor. What is his true goal? And why does it have to be that handsome piano player, out of all people?

Chapter 24-5

Before we could enter the main hall and check out the situation, a sonorous piano melody was belated through the ship’s speakers over that whole patch of sea.

The gentle tune formed an invisible yet unbreakable net in the air. Everyone in proximity to it became the piano music’s prisoner, unable to escape.

I felt a strong feeling of drowsiness. I tried to stop it but it seemed to have already gotten into my veins. Every cell in my body reverberated with it.

Everyone in the hall was swaying like soulless puppets, and on the stage, Cyril held his eyes slightly closed as he played the last requiem for them.

Chapter 24-7

MC travels to confront him on his ship, and watches him entrance people with his piano playing. This is how he got his code-name “Hypnos”. (Similar to how Kiro can charm and control people). Thankfully, Helios appears, his Evol is powerful enough to command MC to escape this.

“Why can’t a lie... be a good thing, too? Is this not the world you wanted?”

An anonymous voice seeped into my consciousness, accompanied by a dim, far away sounding piano.

The false warmth swooped in, and exhausted as I was, I chose to accept it.

My hand was originally grasping at air, but just then I distinctly felt the touch of something solid and warm. I could faintly feel someone grabbing onto me tight.

I forced open my heavy eyes, and a familiar outline filled my blurry vision.

“K- Kiro...?”

For a second, I couldn’t tell if I was in a dream or reality. His face was in shadow, and those usually sea blue eyes now flashed golden, as beautiful as the night stars.

He shouted at me, loud enough to hear over the inescapable piano music-

“I command you to awaken!”

Although without a hint of warmth, his eyes were like the first rays of dawn filtering through the curtains, melting away the fanciful dreamworld clouding my brain.

“I’m not like Ares. I don’t care about any Queen. If you want to influence the outcome, you have to do it your own way.”

Cyril still didn't stop playing, and instead kept moving his fingers across the key in a self-satisfied manner. The audience were completely under the spell of his melody, sunken into the deepest depths of a dream.

A black pistol was pointed straight at him, but the enraptured pianist did not let that stop his performance. Helios wasn’t in a hurry either, waiting quietly for the perfect, culminating core for this piece.

Just as the final note was stuck, Helios resolutely pulled back the tigger. A stream of smoke rose from the gun, but Cyril was somehow unharmed, blocked by an invisible force field.

Helios: “You constructed this dreamscape long before.”

Cyril: “I just don’t want this performance to have any interruptions.”

He rose elegantly from his piano bench and took a deep bow toward the hall absent of applause. Then he sauntered off the stage and looked at me.

Cyril: “You finally came.”

Chapter 24-9

Cyril: “Thank you for teaching me how to use the vending machine.”

I didn't expect him to speak up first, much less did I expect him to bring up that. As if we weren’t staring into the upcoming apocalypse, but just another utterly normal day.

Cyril: “It was you who showed me a different side of life. Although I still think, milk tea tastes better iced.”

MC: “But that doesn’t mean you have to wipe out the people who prefer drinking it hot.”

Cyril: “I think you misunderstood me. Just like you, I love this world. I love the complexity and uncertainty humanity has brought to it. I just think, it just doesn't have to move so fast.”

The smile he had showed- made me believe that from the bottom of his heart, everything he did was to make the world better, and that he should not recover any blame or interference from anyone.

Cyril: “Before one fully understands oneself, power beyond control can only be dangerous. Just like if I were to ask you now, do you truly understand yourself? How would you answer?”

He chuckled at my inability to respond.

The thoughts in his heart were hidden beneath a glacier, and all it showed on the surface was the very tip of it, preventing me from ever getting a clear idea of what he was thinking.

Cyril: “I’ve prepared a little gift for this kind of world.”

A giant steel tower shot upwards and stood tall between the water and sky. The satellite launch tower!

Cyril took hold of my hand and causally moved the key from his own hand. Before I had time to stop him, I saw crystal clear ice form at his fingertips. Pure and unblemished, but also dead. Just like this world before us.

Cyril: “Isn’t this a nice way to end things? This. Is the world you want.”

He then hands MC to press the button for him, then freezes the key to the Black Cabin. Cyril here genuinely believes that what he is doing is good for MC, as he uses the satellite launch platform from the ocean to spread the “Eternal Winter”- the “perfect world”.

Black Swan still pursues evolution of all humanity, but Cyril doesn’t agree with their methods. He knows MC is the Queen and thinks that in this Winter World, this is how she will only grow- without those she loves- if she had not known the boys and everyone she cares about. "If none of those things in the original world had occurred..."

What Hypnos stated reminds me of the Winter World Helios and what he said from when he saved her in Chapter 21.

“The weak should learn to survive on their own. No one will help them. Do everything you can, by fair means or foul. Give up everything in your past… even yourself. If you can’t do that, then go back to the world you came from.”

Which is a little nice touch because Helios appears to save her again with his Evol- but this time, MC is saving the world in her own way. She is not identifying with QUEEN first- but as herself. She had seen and been through so much pain to grow her mental and emotional strength to persevere and save this world with her kindness and love for humanity. MC, herself, has evolved.

Chapter 24-10

Cyril: “Not going to give the button to the launch a push? Perhaps you’ve forgotten, this is only my dream. Any decision you make here won't affect the outside world. Aren't you at least curious? The perfect world I wanted.”

What is the meaning of existence in a world of unrealistic perfection!?

MC: “If I do that, wouldn’t I be like an ostrich, sticking my head into the sand?”

Cyril: “If people found the perfect pile of “sand”, who knows if they’d stick with reality- and choose not to escape? After all, in reality, no one can predict what's going to happen from second to second. But in a perfect dream, everything always unfolds exactly as people desire.”

MC: “I can’t answer that for others. But it shows that the decision for how to answer should be left for each individual person.”

Cyril: “The way I see it, those who have no ability to judge never had the right to choose in the first place.”

Naturally, traitor though he was, he was still like others in Black Swan, holding a disdain for normal people, deep in his bones. When he rebelled against wasn't the thinking of the organisation, but their methods. But no matter which method of theirs it was, they all wanted to force their ideology on the whole world.

Did the world really need their brand of reason? Did humanity really need their idea of progress?

Everything in existence follows its own, original path, with absolutely no need for human intervention. And what I had to do was to maintain this balance.

I abruptly placed the remote back in his hand and told him my final decision.

It’s clear that Cyril doesn’t have that much experience with normalcy or identifies with at least humanity. He believes that it’s better to ignore reality and to live in a dream without the memories of the past or mourn the loss of others. Frozen without emotions, pain, or progress- the “perfect world”.

Chapter 25-4

After MC accepts her QUEEN identity, she finally uses that power to unite all timelines ultimately defeating Cyril, then returns back to the original world. Weirdly, he appears in front of her when she wakes up.

Cyril: “I believed I warned you long ago, no matter what world it is, it doesn't make much of a difference. You assume too much. In this world, I am just like you, a normal person. Think of it… as the price I’ve paid. My choice… was made for you. You were growing too slowly. Maybe that world was best suited for you after all. Too bad, you were too muddled to realise it. This world may soon experience a change, and it’s the kind of change that has nothing to do with you.

Time Subway

Time Subway takes place before Cyril leaves, after MC is hospitalised in Chapter 32. It reveals more about MC’s power and spiritual connection to Loveland City, the rest of the worlds and their timelines.

They meet on the train, though MC can’t remember meeting Cyril before. His piano music continues to play as the train moves backwards. (And that’s the thing about the subway- the train goes in cycles to each station, to the memories and worlds MC has previously lived in.)

Chapter 5

MC: “This train is really strange. It’s going backwards.”

Cyril: “Does the direction really matter? Though, I’ve never been on a subway train. Perhaps, there are a few imperfections.”

MC: “How did you get on the train?”

Cyril: “Same as you, I guess.”

MC: “Do you know where this train is going?”

Cyril: “To a place you want to be. So embrace your imagination. Think of everything you ever wanted. Eventually we will arrive at the perfect ending you’ve longed for.”

Chapter 6

MC: “I feel like I’m forgetting something. My memory has been foggy ever since I boarded this train.”

Cyril: “You do know me. You have to recall those memories on your own. Do you want to remember everything? Or, do you prefer to give up the past and start again right here?”

Cyril seemed to be hinting something, I felt that he’d always use such implicit language, but I couldn't remember when…

Chapter 7

Somehow this train gave me a sense of security. I could feel a familiar resonance between us. As if it was closely linked to me in the first place.

A thought slowly came to my mind, maybe I could decide on its direction at some point in time.

MC: “Why do you want me to go to the past?”

Cyril: “Back to when everything hadn’t taken place, isn’t that what you wanted? I’m only doing this for you. Sorry I didn’t ask for your permission. But you’ll be my best work.”

Chapter 8

Cyril: “This world belongs to you. My power doesn’t work here. I’m nothing more than a normal person in the real world. I’m going to use my power one last time. And this will be my final work. A perfect world is still what I’m after. It was you who broke free from the world I created. You showed me my limit. Indeed, the power triggered by your emotion outshined my skills. That’s why I chose your spiritual world, as the raw material of my final work.”

MC: “So this is just an infinite cycle within my spiritual word, isn’t it?”

Cyril: “I won’t say you are wrong. In this train, you can choose any stop and choose any exit you want. When you step out, this world becomes more complete. Meanwhile, this dream will continue the everlasting cycle, which is also your karma.”

MC: “So do I stay here?”

Cyril: “You can choose to leave… if you have the power to battle yourself. If you leave, this world will continue to exist all independent from all time space.”

MC: “How do I leave?”

Cyril: “You have to discover that for yourself.”

MC: “...Cyril, I need to go. If there’s really a perfect world you want, just take this world as my gift to you.”

Cyril: “I see, thank you... If only you could eventually put an end to this cycle.”

Chapter 32-1

Cyril- “I came to say goodbye.”

MC: “All that stuff that happened to me after losing my Evol has something to do with you. Starting from when “I ran into you” on the train, it was all a part of your plan.”

He smiled slightly, met my hostile gaze without a hint of displeasure. He didn’t deny it, but he didn’t admit it either. There was an undercurrent of tension to the stillness, but also some unusual and subtle peace.

This pianist… I’ve never seen anyone so out of touch with the world.

MC: “The vending machine, the scammer in the square, thorns on a flower, you don’t have much experience with everyday things, do you?”

Cyril: “However, it really has been a long time since anyone’s talked with me about such things.”

I may have been imagining it, but I seemed to detect a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

MC: “Just what are you after, coming here to see me like this?”

As he spoke, he reached out and put his hand at the back of mine. His fingers were ice cold.

But in this brief moment, a flurry of images flashed before my eyes.

Four white walls, an empty room, a triangular piano of translucent crystal placed in the corner. The figure of a man gradually emerged before the piano bench.

His thin graceful fingers danced daintily across the keys as snowflakes fell upon him and settled undisturbed.

That gentle piano melody reverberating in the shadows also came out as a muttered groan from the girl as pain hit her.

Suddenly, the piano playing intensified, the tempo building to a frenzy like a subway train rattling through a tunnel.

I saw a boy get up from the piano, walk to the front of the stage, and take a bow to the thunderous roar of applause.

The scene shifted. The boy was once again standing in the gloomy storm, holding a white rose to his chest, listening in silence to a priest delivering a eulogy.

??: “Keep playing, Little Cyril. Use your power and help Mummy make the perfect world.”

Cyril: “A perfect world… I’ve got it.”

I saw his past, present and future. I saw the boy slowly growing up and playing that final melody in the centre of a frozen plain. He played tirelessly, as if he’s trapped inside in a world of memory.

Cyril: “Can you tell me what you saw?”

In those crystal clear eyes, I saw my own expression, and there was an ineffable expression of sadness to them.

MC: “Is a perfect creation… really that important?”

Cyril’s eyes were flat, like the negative space in an ink wash painting.

Cyril: “The sad fact is that they will never be able to achieve it.”

MC: “But absolute perfection doesn’t exist. Everything has blemishes and faults. But that doesn’t mean that they’re not good enough, and it certainly doesn’t mean that they don’t have a right to exist in this world.”

Cyril: “Perhaps. You’ve certainly proven that point yourself. One final thing before I go, of course, you can choose not to believe it. Perfection has never been an illusion; everything in this world has a singular, perfectly-suited exit. Although, I think you already found it.”

MC: “Where are you going?”

Cyril: “A world that belonged to you, but now belongs to me. Thank you for the world you’ve given me, and the interesting memories. And that bubble tea, I quite like the flavour.”

His words fell softly, as if shrouding me in a tranquil, pure white dream.

Upon seeing his past, present and future, all that MC sees is Cyril playing the piano. It turns out, his true motivation for creating the “perfect world” was for his mother when she passed. With MC’s help, he finally admits that it cannot be achieved. He isn’t directly hostile like the other Black Swan members either, and calmly admits his defeat and accepts MC’s decision.

Behind the Curtain- 6 (Chapter 28)

??: “If you want to see it, go. The door being opened will be closed soon.”

The black box grows bigger, and fills the entire vision in black-

Cyril: “Do you know the origin of the name BLACK SWAN?”

I see an elegant young man standing inside a luxury gift shop. There, piano pieces are playing. He looked down at me. The black box reflects in the cool eyes looking a lot like snow.

MC: “Am I inside the box?”

Cyril: “BLACK SWAN” is a word that means an unexpected event. Humans have no way to predict the impact of the event. When I first heard their name, I immediately saw the appeal. I also wanted to be a part of it. But…the majority of them still live in this illusion. Only a few were aware that humanity is ignorant. They can't help me to complete my work.”

While speaking, he pressed the crystal piano keyboard. The jolting sound echoes—

Cyril’s Mum: “With your power, continue this and please show me the perfect world.”

The woman lies on bed, looking at him with those beautiful eyes that looked a lot like that boy’s. There’s no strength in them.

Cyril’s Mum: “For one last time, I want to experience the beauty of this world with my whole being. That’s also the reason for your existence.”

The boy then grows up in the snowstorm and turns into an innocent boy. His outline became sharp, becoming an elegant young man.

The snowy wind pushes the window open and surrounds his mother. She then transforms into white snow and suddenly disappears.

The man doesn’t notice the occurring snowstorm, but instead concentrates on the graceful piano playing.

A piece of glass shatters and lands on the piano. The young man engrossed in playing keeps an eye on the keys.

MC: “Look out!”

The piece of glass cuts the young man’s long finger. A line of blood flows, on the skin like ice and snow.

The young man finally stops. As if time had been frozen, the lingering sound of the piano remained in the room covered with heavy snow.

He looks up. Like an innocent puzzled child who touched the piano for the first time, those eyes come into mind.

Cyril: “Who…are you?”

MC: “...who am I?”

Cyril had been stuck all this time within his memory of his promise to his mother- in pursuit of the “perfect world”. His world was biased upon thinking that humanity- even Evolvers, were ignorant and unable to help him achieve his goals. This demonstrates the divide and individuation between each Black Swan member of not being able to work together effectively to achieve the collective goal- of the “New World”.

It was nice to see MC being able to overcome her self-doubt and enter Black Cabin by accepting the QUEEN title in a world so foreign to her. Her hope, love and determination had saved the world again. Cyril played a huge part in this chapter of her life, almost like prepping her for the final prophecy of fate.

And “Doomsday” is coming.

#17 pages #patting myself on the back for this one #mlqc Cyril #mlqc #love and producer #mr love queens choice #恋与制作人 #mlqc translation #mlqc analysis #mlqc cn #mlqc en #mlqc Hypnos #mlqc spoilers

38 notes · View notes

ellaenchanting · 4 years

Text

Hypnovember Day 12: Stage

Somehow this story refused to be short. Even this version with all its’ extraneous details is abbreviated. Based lightly on the biography of one of my favorite hypnotists. Very lightly edited- may do another read through tomorrow am. Feel free to point out mistakes.

Curtain up on a handsome young man attending university in the 90s.

Brandon took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror. He could do this. He'd actually learned to enjoy the stage fright these past few months he'd been performing. It felt electric and helpful- a little reminder that he was alive.

He ran through his old confidence trick of imagining that he was Paul McKenna. He'd seen McKenna perform once back in first year. He was magnetic on stage- mesmerizing the audience well before he had even formally hypnotized anyone. As a shy, awkward, closeted kid, Brandon had admired how confident the hypnotist was. He held effortless sway over his volunteers and his audience. Brandon had wanted to be like that- feel that in control of something.

So Brandon began to teach himself hypnosis. The library had some books and he had some friends who were kind enough to let him try things out. Somewhere along the way, Brandon had gotten really good. One night after work at his bar job, he had even managed to hypnotize the owner’s girlfriend. She was a fun natural subject and they had worked really well together. The owner had been so impressed that he asked if Brandon ever did stage hypnosis. When Brandon said yes (a small white lie), the owner had offered him a slot for a show every other Tuesday night.

After the first month or so, doing stage hypnosis started to feel really great. Brandon had a routine and he mostly stuck to it, but the volunteers reacted differently enough that the show felt new every time. Brandon felt connected to his volunteers. And even though what they were doing was inherently silly, it was also magical and exciting and fascinating.

Brandon stepped out on the small stage and began his pre-talk. Like the rest of the show, It was a variation on the same old speech every week (one of the regulars at the bar counter always rolled his eyes when Brandon began) but the routine gave Brandon enough extra brain space to scan the crowd and take notes for himself. A ginger girl looked really engaged and was laughing at all the jokes right on time- she might be a good volunteer. A man in a hat had kind of slowly blinked when Brandon said "sleep" earlier- that could be a good sign. Or he might already be too drunk, Brandon thought, judging the number of beer glasses Brandon saw under him. Many audience members tonight seemed open and engaged. That would probably give Brandon a good selection of volunteers...

And then he walked in.

Brandon saw the guy from the campus GLBT club last week. The one Brandon had finally forced himself to go to. (Brandon had been frantically trying not to think about sex and sexuality issues for years, but this year he had finally started privately using “the g word” in his own mind when labeling himself.) Actually going to the club had felt really awkward until he began talking with a friendly guy there named Scott. Scott had drawn him out- asked him about himself and his interests. Scott told him a bit about his life too- he talked about being the only gay guy on the rugby team and how he had won the other players’ respect.

Scott had an easy laugh and an easy charm. Brandon had certainly felt charmed by him. Maybe a bit too charmed. Brandon felt the zing of a crush beginning to start. He wasn’t sure he was ready for that yet, though. Brandon had not mentioned the hypnosis thing to Scott- it felt weird and personal and he had already half-convinced himself that he was being creepy in response to Scott’s platonic friendliness. He didn’t want to scare him off.

He had never expected to see him here.

Scott smiled and waved at Brandon. It took everything Brandon had to keep his pre-talk speech going on autopilot. All of a sudden, he felt very exposed and very known. Like Scott had walked in on him masturbating or something.

Focus.

Brandon tripped up a little bit on the magnetic fingers test, but no one in the audience seemed to notice. He had a few people who seemed to be responding really well so far. (He studiously did not to look over at Scott.) Brandon channeled his enthusiasm into his volunteer call "So if you're ready to have the best time of all tonight, go ahead and come up on the stage!"

A few people came up- Brandon sold volunteering some more while trying to make eye contact with a few more possibles. It was always good to give himself options. He verbally encouraged volunteers to find and sit in the hypnotic chairs behind him. When he finally felt like enough people had volunteered, Brandon turned around

He saw Scott sitting directly behind him, smiling up at him expectanly.

Fuck.

Professionalism, Scott remembered. He kept on with his routine, doing some basic relaxation steps and then starting at the beginning of the line of volunteers with a series of quick inductions.

He got to Scott.

Scott was already looking spacey. He looked up at Brandon in the most open, trusting way.

Brandon felt something in him stir.

NO. He thought. Focus.

He took Scott’s hand in his and started his induction.

“Push on my hand.” Scott’s hand felt warm and rough against his.

“Harder” He looked so sexy when he was concentrating.

“Harder” He smelled so good.

“Now- SLEEP!”

As Brandon pulled his hand quickly away, Scott just..collapsed. Like a puppet with his strings cut. His eyes had rolled back and they had already started moving a bit under the lids. Scott’s mouth was hanging open. He looked debauched and so open and so gone...

NO.

NO NO NO

Focus

Brandon needed to stop himself. Thinking on his feet, he course corrected. “Let’s have a round of applause for all of our volunteers! Now- since we have so many excellent subjects up here, let’s say we make it just a ladies night tonight. We’ll use all and only female volunteers. What do you all think about that?!”

The crowd cheered in enthusiasm. Thank goodness. Brandon woke up all of his male volunteers and continued the show.

Crisis averted.

Scott came up after the show to shake Brandon’s hand and talk to him. Brandon somehow managed to touch Scott’s hand again and not blush, even with that strings-cutting moment still vivid in his head. Scott asked if Brandon wanted to meet him for a pint but Brandon declined, citing exhaustion. He already felt bad enough for lusting after Scott during the show- if he let his guard down Scott might notice something was off. He needed to go and sort himself out.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brandon decided to give going to the GLBT club a miss that next week. He had been fantasizing about Scott all week- his big trusting eyes, his slack expression, what he could have made Scott do while he was under his power. He felt ashamed to actually go face him with those thoughts running through his head. Brandon took a walk and had a cold shower that night instead.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scott was in the front row when Brandon began his next stage hypnosis show.

He had brought friends.

The group of girls, who had obviously already had a bit to drink, were cheering and rowdy. They weren't rambunctious enough to get kicked out, but they were certainly enough to rile the rest of the crowd up.

Brandon gave the first part of his pretalk then launched into his magnetic fingers routine. He decided to experiment and turn it into a bit of a group induction, continuing on into an arm levitation on the fly. After a few minutes of patter, he asked people to open their eyes and see how high their arms had gotten. A few people had arms that were floating a foot or two off their legs.

Scott’s arm was floating up at his head.

It looked like he was raising his hand.

Scott looked up at his arm with a kind of distant, happy surprise.

Brandon chose a few audience members to come on the stage who had experienced some success with the exercise. He purposely did not choose Scott. No need to put himself through that again.

He was just getting ready to put the last chair away when he heard:

“Scott! Scott!”

One of the drunk girls.

“Scott! Scott!”

Now all of the drunk girls.

“Scott! Scott!”

Then the rest of the audience, laughing a bit as Scott cheekily waved at them.

Brandon swallowed and steeled his nerves. “Scott, would you like to come up?”

The audience roared in response.

-----------------------------------

Brandon managed to keep his shit together through the beginning of the show and a few basic skits- pretending shoes were puppies (Scott made the most adorable faces), playing an imaginary piano (he had...agile fingers), and name amnesia (that confused look, though).

Brandon went right into the next skit.

“OK when I wake you up in a moment, you’re going to imagine you’re at the top of a tall mountain and it’s freezing up there- you’ll imagine that you’re so totally cold and every time I say the word cold it gets colder, every time I say the word cold you get colder...”

Scott was already shivering, doing brilliantly. So was the blonde in the red shirt.

Brandon woke them up, verbally encouraging their shivers and teeth chattering. The volunteers huddled together for warmth. Scott ran his hands quickly up and down the blonde girl’s arms to warm her up.

“And now, “ Brandon said, “the cold’s gone away and you realize that you’re not on the mountain at all! You’re in a hot place! You’re in the desert and the sun’s coming up and it’s getting hotter and hotter...”

Brandon kept his patter going on autopilot as he watched the group react, looking for what reactions to encourage. The blonde was fanning herself. The bald guy was going a bit red. And Scott-

Scott was taking his shirt off.

The drunk girls yelled encouragement from the audience.

Scott’s hands worked to throw his shirt over his head. Time seemed to slow. Brandon could see the muscles in Scott’s chest. He was sweating.

Brandon stopped dead in his tracks for a moment.

Scott moved his hands to his belt buckle.

Brandon raised his voice “And NOW the temperature is normal again. Normal comfortable temperature. And you can go ahead and stop what you’re doing and sit back in your seat, that's right..”

------------------------------------

Brandon fled the stage as soon as the show was over. He made an excuse of needing to use the toilet. He stayed in there for 10 minutes to calm his nerves.

Scott was waiting for him when he came out.

Brandon made another excuse of checking on the other volunteers and left.

30 minutes later, Scott was still at the bar. Waiting.

Resigned and secretly pleased, Brandon walked over.

“Hey Svengali!” Scott said with a smile. “Did you like having me under your spell?” He winked playfully.

Brandon laughed awkwardly. Suddenly he was all out of words.

Scott came closer. “Seriously, though, that was a lot of fun. I felt really relaxed and playful. Being hypnotized feels really zen, y’know?”

Brandon found his voice, “Yeah, you’re a really talented subject. You’re really creative and imaginative and..willing.” Brandon looked down, his own words making him shy.

Scott’s mouth quirked at that last word. “Brandon, I don’t want to freak you out but- I’ve spent the last hour and a half focused on you. Really focused. And I was paying attention to what you said but,” he looked Brandon in the eye, “I could kind of tell you were focused on me too. Intensely.”

Brandon turned red. “I..I’m sorry, you must think I’m so creepy, I..”

Scott stopped him. “No Brandon, you don't get it. I wanted to be focused on you. I’ve wanted it ever since the club really- but especially since I saw your last show. Watching it kind of...helped me understand some things about myself. What I wanted. And I wanted you to notice me too. Why do you think I wore this shirt tonight?” He smiles teasingly. “I remembered your show last week. I knew I’d have the excuse to take it off for you. Did you like what you saw?”

Brandon nodded his head.

Scott nodded back, understanding. “You liked watching me take my shirt off. And I think you liked watching me be hypnotized, too. Following your commands. Acting under your spell.”

Brandon blushed at his quiet, involuntary moan.

Scott looked at Brandon’s with gentle compassion. He held Brandon’s hand in his for a moment and put a piece of paper in it. “I know you’re newly out and i don’t want to pressure you. I like you a lot, though, and, well- I think we have a lot in common. We’re...compatible, in a way. So if you ever want to hang out some time or go out or y’know, stay in together...” he squeezed Brandon’s hand and let go “...give me a call”.

Scott looked Brandon in the eyes one more time, then walked away.

-----------------------------------------------------

Brandon angsted over the number for exactly one day.

On Wednesday night, he picked up the phone.

“Hey Scott? Hey, It’s Brandon. Listen, I’m working on some new ideas for my show. Would you like to come over and help me test them? Maybe on Friday? I’ll make you dinner.”

It was a start.

#hypnovember #m/m #stage hypnosis #this one ended up being long #and maybe confusing time-wise #apologies about that #it's a coffeehouse au #only with stage hypnosis

29 notes · View notes

the-small-cimarron-paparazzi · 6 years

Text

i choose to embrace it

Everything is just coming together too neatly.

Let’s try to piece together how the human side of the boxes situation might be like.

Basically, we know that at the start of Carolia Arc Big Cimarron had (just got?) the Wind box

"In this world, four objects exist that are not to be tampered with under any circumstances," said Conrad. "The humans, and the humans of the superpower Shimaron at that, have managed to bring one of those objects under their control. The name of the box is 'the End of the Wind.' If it remains in their hands, they will open it sooner or later."

(quoting BT, c1, n5)

and was sneaking into Shinma with Wincott’s Poison to try to get control of its key. (and yes, they knew it was Con, though they [accidentally? intentionally?] cut off Con’s arm)

The Wincott’s poison they got from Flynn, offering her a deal:

“A secret messenger from Big Shimaron came with a proposition. The Wincott poison is supposed to be in the recesses of the Gilbit Estate. They wanted that terribly. Furthermore, they were in a great hurry. It is the only substance in the world that will let one control another at will. If a body is afflicted by that poison, it will become a puppet of the descendants of the Wincotts. Whether it’s alive or not. I gave them that poison. In exchange for the lives of the Calorian soldiers.”

(BT, c8, n6)

In the same chapter we hear from Hube that Small Cimarron has put their hands on another one, the Earth Box, having got it via the rotten Luis Biron (from novel 4) and ultimately from Suverera, before which the royals in Suverera tried to open it with Hube’s left eye, but failed.

Again in the same chapter Hube speaks of how the Earth Box was originally buried in Suverera’s soil, near the parts of the MA flute (from novel 3), and either because of the box or flute that part of Suverera harbored houseki of strange property (only mentioning maseki won’t do this not how normal houseki would do?), and the removal of box followed by flute made the place stop turning out these houseki.

Although the esoteric stones certainly brought them immense fortune, that was simply a byproduct. Svelera wasn’t mining for stones; they were looking for something much more terrible in the places where many esoteric stones were.

[...]

Yes, they were looking for a box.

[...]

While Svelera was digging for esoteric stones, they finally dug that up. Deep, deep within the rock formation, where only emaciated women and children can reach, in a place like a labyrinth.

And near that place, the treasure of the demons, the Demon Flute, was sealed. As soon as they discovered the box and brought it out of the esoteric stone pit, I had my acquaintance inconspicuously sneak down there and secure the Demon Flute. The power slowly leaking out of the box over hundreds of years may have slowly changed the surrounding bedrock into esoteric stone. Or, the part of the earth fighting against the power of the Demon Flute may have resulted in its quality being changed. At any rate, once the two objects were removed, for some reason esoteric stones completely stopped appearing and the Sveleran citizens lost their jobs.

(BT, c8, n6)

he also said Suverera’s king acted strange mining those houseki (as the cover of looking for the box)

At that time, the kingdom of Svelera had put much effort into the procurement of their esoteric stones for the betterment of the kingdom and many of the unemployed citizens began to work in the mines.

[....]

Anyway, it is no exaggeration that there was something abnormal with the mining of esoteric stones in Svelera. No matter how little rain fell or if the drinking water dried up, at the bare minimum they had to raise the crops for the next year’s seeds. However, the king of Svelera did not protect the farmland or the farmers and continued to do nothing but dig up esoteric stones. If he wanted to dig, he should have at least dug a well. It was as if the finances for the next year were in some way guaranteed.

(BT, c8, n6)

Skipping forward into the story, from Seisa Arc we know this about Seisakoku’s houseki via Sara:

Do you know what power this country has? Manpower and houseki in abundance

(BT, c7, n11)

there being also:

On the other hand, the pale pink ring Saralegui put on my finger has not budged at all, acting like a normal stone. Apparently it’s a precious houseki that can only be mined in Seisakoku, and yet it hasn’t reacted in the slightest.

(BT, c11, n12) though I mildly suspect this can be just a metaphor about Sara

And we know that the Fire Box has been in Seisa for

After staying in the same country for seventy years, I know a lot more about this country than the kids born here.

(BT, c3, n12, not remembering where to find other sources I turned to the timeline of Hazel)

Although to be honest we don’t know what the houseki relevant circumstance in Seisa had been like before this, but this time span is long enough to cover the whole experience with Seisakoku of Sara +Yel+ Probably Alazon.

Also Gilbert might have been able to tell.....? randomly off topic

Back to Suverera c8n6, Hube talks about how

Naturally, the king of Svelera did not know the significance of the box nor the power it had.

[...]

Since Svelera did not have the key – the left eyeball of a certain bloodline – and could not open the lid, they sold it to a large country.

even if they had the right idea of where to look for it and some idea of possibility of opening it with the left eye of whom.

So did they originally came to know about this box all by their own?

(OR: Another possibility- them selling it was not about reasons above but failure in opening it lead to practical worries about having neglected about finances.)

And did Small Cimarron find out about this Earth Box after it was put out to be sold by Suverera or did something else entirely just happen here?

Although certitude regarding this might never be achieved, but we know that in chapter 10, novel 6, Maxine was saying:

「ところで諸君、労働に従事する日々とはいえ、現在この小シマロンを始め、シマロン両国を宗主とする大陸全域が、魔族との聖戦に向けて一丸となっていることはお聞き及びだろう。その一翼を担う諸君にも、非常に関わりのある朗報がある」

But gone are your days of repetitive manual labor! No doubt the whispers have already spread to you; here and now starting with Small Cimarron, this continent with the Cimarrons as its countries’ suzerains, is coming together to wage our holy war against the mazokus. This is a much relevant and joyful news for you, who are after all going to undertake a part in this feat.

and answering Yuuri’s question about if the boxes are in fact things fairly easy to come by, Flynn was saying:

“It’s not easy.”

Flynn had a look on her face that looked like she was going to start chewing on her thumb’s fingernail.

“Numerous countries have been competing and searching for them for decades. They weren’t quickly found. But for them to fall into people’s possession one after another… I thought only Big Shimaron had a box and key.”

(BT, c10, n6)

which means something must had changed between the current situation and that of the last decades (or more innocently it can be just the miracle of perseverance but anyways I’m asking↓).

So this added to Maxine’s talk about how this new (yet-to-happen-or-be-stopped) war the humans were planning to do with mazoku was engineered by Small Cimarron,

Would this something be SARALEGUI?

Though Sara claimed he didn’t remember anything from his early years in Seisa

“But Saralegui, why didn’t you mention to me that you were born in Seisakoku? Not only that, back when we were in Shou Shimaron, didn’t you say that be it your country or yourself, this is your first time contacting Seisakoku?”

This means that throughout that long journey before, he was always lying to me.

“Yuuri, I never lied to you. That’s because all that happened when I was young, so I don’t have any recollection of it myself.”

(BT, c7, n11)

but for one thing he was fluent enough in Seisa language to write up a treaty for both Seisa (able to read it and thus held possibility of exploiting flaws?) and Shinma to sign. (or it can always be forgotten and re-learnt later in life but anyways I mean to say↓)

Then there were mentions of the shinzoku twins-lords corresponding after Saralegui became king in Small Cimarron

「だからって、十三年間一度も連絡取らないはずはないだろう。双子の兄弟がさ、一方は父親の国の王子様で、一方は母親の国の王子様だぞ？国交が無かったのは本当だとしても、白鳩の一羽くらい飛ばすだろう」 Even if you say so, it’s hard for me to believe you never had any contact throughout these whole 13 years, the pair of you twins being the princes of your father’s and your mother’s countries. Even if you didn’t have an alliance, do you expect us to believe there wasn’t even a single letter?

「飛ばしたよ。わたしが即位してからだけど」 We did write letters. But that was after I became king.

(c7, n11)

Also in the catacombs he was showing signs of some knowledge about (at least this part of) Seisa

“Although I heard that there are ruins underground, I never thought they would be this large in scale.”

After walking for around an hour, Saralegui seems to sigh with emotion. In contrast to me now, his condition is much better than it was a while ago.

(BT, c10, n12)

Which leads to the conclusion of this post (finally), that

If he had any impression about the circumstances of houseki yield in Seisa and a legend of miracle box, or if anything along the lines was brought up in any casual (?) correspondence with Yel,

→having the advantage of insight about a country with plenty of houseki (Seisa) and experiencing the lack of it (houseki being rare and valuable at opening of c8, n3) in the world outside Seisa

→Saralegui might be able to realize what the Suverera’s houseki mines really mean (or he might be guessing like us everyone else and happening to come to the same conclusion as marumafan-san did in here)

and this could lead to him discovering about the key to finding boxes. or just the one box to par and panic and affect Big Cimarron.

Sara being Sara, it seems legit if he just found out about the Suverera box and sold the royal family a lie making them locate and extract it only to inevitably let go of it for Small Cimarron to get.

(Although he actually seemed to not know if the arm would work...or can it be intentionally done so only to wreck Carolia and punish Flynn? Then, how about his way of pinpointing where the soushu forces strike? Was it in fact a successful opening of Earth box because things more or less went his way?)

So the last thing is, if we remember Guenter said in novel 1 that Yuu-chan was summoned back to the other world earlier than planned because Humans were making a move (it must be somewhere in n1 but I don’t seem to kind the source)

the situation named Saralegui might very likely be the reason everything STARTED TO HAPPEN

And though it’s not the point of this post but since we’ve got this far there’s no need in holding back before asking:

Are we really not having the slightest chance of Shinou being all benign (+only YANDERE about Daikenja or whatever old acquaintances) and really arranging all things trying to save the day?

(OR: Another possibility- Shinou somehow made Saralegui happen and that lead to everything else.)

why it is suddenly Shinou or Sara I somehow want to be able to love them both

MY GOD THAT WAS HARD FOR MY STARVED BRAIN TO SORT OUT

AS SOMEONE ORIGINAL ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT SARA’S PERSONAL HISTORY AND CHANGES IN STATE OF MIND I’VE REALLY COME VERY FAR

At the VERY end I’d like to quote a certain Professor Quirrell from chapter 26 of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality:

"Mr. Potter, one of the requisites for becoming a powerful wizard is an excellent memory. The key to a puzzle is often something you read twenty years ago in an old scroll, or a peculiar ring you saw on the finger of a man you met only once. I mention this to explain how I managed to remember this item, and the placard attached to it, after meeting you a good deal later."

Because he is probably very right.

#too long #Big and Small Cimarrons might not be what I expected #wonder if Berard IV would have made different decision because right now it looks like Berard II decides what happens in Big Cimarron #also i guess Maxine slipped on important info in that c10n6 #or did he do it on purpose #only realizing now it's not only Sara but all these villains have lines with too many five-dollar words #somehow maruMA is steadily reading more like a mystery novel #but again aren't all novels ultimately mystery novels?#and bleeping Beethoven I'm starting to wonder if in the BC library the files about the Wellers were read by Conrad or someone else #I SALUTE ANYONE WHO HAS THE GREAT PATIENCE READING ALL THIS #please negate me with max ammo #because the joy lies in the ride before sensei and only sensei tells us the real destination #kyou kara maou

19 notes · View notes

shiningforvixx · 7 years

Text

170628 - Mata Hari Musical (Leo)

I didn’t get to see Leo arrive today because I was busyㅠㅠ But he was cute when he left (despite him wearing a hat and walking fast combined with no light). He was being careful to look at everyone when he passed by, and I love that. Plus his Instagram post was so sweet! (This is a very non-Leo post, so you’ve been warned.)

I ended up bringing a notebook with me today, so I might remember more about Act 1. Act 2 however may be another story;;

Spoilers abound (and it probably won’t make much sense if you haven’t seen the play because it is all out of order;;)

One of the best things about seeing plays/musicals multiple times is seeing the actors meld deeper into their parts and become more comfortable with the play, their role, and one another. Not even two weeks since opening night, you can already see this improvement. Also, when you have parts double or triple cast, like this one, you get an added layer of intrigue(?) Not only does each actor bring a new perspective to a character, but they affect the actors around them and how they play off each other. It probably seems obvious that the actor in a role changes how the role is played, but I feel like that is easy to forget when you only see one cast. (I think it’s great how everyone kept their own characterization as well because seeing others play the part could influence your interpretation of a scene or the entire character. That’s what separates the pros from the fish(??) I guess.)

This brings me to Ock Joohyun. I first saw her in Mata last year and fell in love. I liked her so much that I worried I wouldn’t like Sophie, but then she brought an entirely different charm to the character making choosing between them impossible. This year we have Cha Jiyeon with her own charm, but Joohyun stole my heart already. I have so much to say about her Mata, I don’t even know where to begin. It may be silly, but my jaw literally dropped a little when I saw how she handled her cigarette. Having been around theatre and having worked with fake cigarettes, I can tell you that it can be awkward to know how to hold and play with one *coughleocough* (I’ll grant that he already improved with that though). It wasn’t just the cigarette though, that’s just what got me paying attention. All of her stage business brought her character to life.

Not only was how she handled the props and filled her space, just her playfulness in general is so charming. As an audience member, I don’t know how you can leave the theatre without falling for her. (Not only with Mata either. Every role she plays, she brings her personal charm onto the stage with her.) Her playfulness is where Mata’s confidence seems to stem from, but it also creates this amazing chemistry with all the other actors around her who can’t help but react to her.

My last specifically Joohyun note is that her line interpretation is to die for. Part of it is she always enunciates very clearly, but it’s also clear that she knows — is — Margaret. She brings her character’s playfulness to her line delivery and also something of her Mata from last year. It’s as if she slipped back into the “body” of Mata, but put on another outfit. She managed to bring some of what made her a charming Mata Hari last year into her new Mata. (Her “I chased them away” when she first meets Armand was such a throwbackㅠㅠ)

Speaking of bringing in elements from last year, it’s fun to see the scenes that were mentioned in conversation brought to the stage. (Have I mentioned that?) But it almost feels like a little secret among those who knew the 2016 version. I wonder what it would be like to see only this one without having the comparison. Actually, an acquaintance mentioned it is a shame how Katherine (Ladoux’s wife) has practically disappeared. I agree and can’t help missing her song to persuade Ladoux to throw Mata under the bus, as it were. However, if I put myself in the shoes of someone who only saw the new version, would I even care that Katherine fades into the background?

I don’t know if it is a matter of chemistry with Joohyun and having acted with her last year, but I thought Narae as Anna did so much better than the first night I saw her?? Perhaps Mata being more playful brings the same out in Anna, but their banter made them feel more like a mother and daughter. Funnily enough, Mata sometimes felt like the mother in their relationship. When Mata makes Anna kiss her forehead after fighting, and when Mata protects Anna after being arrested, Mata seems more like the mother figure. In a way, that made their relationship even more relatable for me because sometimes I feel like the mother with my mom, haha. That kind of mother-daughter relationship can become fluid once the “daughter” is old enough.

I also like the contrast between Anna joking with Mata and her snap into a distant, non-feeling servant-character when Ladoux enters the dressing room. This really emphasized her dependence on Mata and her role in life as a background character. (Honestly, Anna is arguably the most tragic character in the play. She lived her life through someone else, whose life also was pretty darn tough, and then has to live on after the person she cared for most is killed. I literally teared up a bit just thinking of this. Anna’s life would make a great spin-off book like those fairy tales told from an unexpected character’s perspective.)

The way Armand (Leo) just throws out super depressing facts about himself and his past makes his character even more tragic. He’s already accepted his position in life (and death). He grew up used to being beaten, saw most of his pilot buddies die, figures he won’t see the end of the war, and as baby Armand would run out and watch the puppet show when his parents fought. Yet all of this he reveals as if saying he used to run on the track team. Experiencing all of that and still living each day makes me think that without all those outside factors, he may have turned out more like the sweet Armand of the 2016 version of the play.

Armand’s life view goes right along with the new version of the crash song (If You Fall). Last year I remember thinking that it was dumb of the men to be so excited and ready to go die, but this year with the tone of the play, placement of the scene, and Armand’s characterization it has a different feel. Armand has already seen his friends die around him for a year, so even though he knows his mission is suicide, he seems to have realized and accepted it’s his time to die as well. However, being a soldier he has to help his subordinates get over their fear and just do their duty because they have to follow orders anyway, so they may as well do it courageously.

This is all so out of order chronologically;; Jumping back to the hotel scene in Lyon (this is the name in English, yes?), I loved how Joohyun handled the marionette and talked about her past. When Armand says that the two of them are so different, she responds, saying they aren’t that different, by moving the marionette as if it were her then Armand moves like a puppet when he replies. As Mata— Margaret—tells the story of her past, she cradles the doll as if it were her Louisa (or is it Louise;;). This is one of those times that Mata feels paradoxically both childlike and motherly.

The hotel scene really highlights the chemistry between Ock Joohyun and Leo, but honestly all of their scenes together are a joy to watch because you can see how comfortable they are together. They seem completely at ease with each other, and their teasing is just super fun. It may be that Leo just got more comfortable in his role in general, but the way he hugged Mata in the hotel was much more like a person actually would hug another person without being an awkward kid about it. My last note about them is that the way they sing together is...what’s another way to say super fun? Leo definitely is one of those kids who likes harmonizing with others, so when the two of them sang together, there was that added element. (I’m 99% sure that’s not how he and Jiyeon sang together.) This vocal chemistry(?) was very apparent when they sang C’est Le Vie out on Mata’s rooftop.

Another thing about Joohyun’s Mata that I liked was how she showed her inner nervousness (and feelings in general) to the audience. In particular, during the German general’s party, we saw her nervousness about her mission and being a spy when a spy was announced to be at the party. The other time she did this (showing inner emotions) was when she got off the train in Berlin to go see Armand in the hospital. I nearly laughed at her slouching and lowering her voice so as to not seem like Mata Hari.

Skipping forward again, one thing I liked about Ladoux’s song lamenting his actions prior to the court scene (All That We Had To Do) last year was that because Ladoux was such a bad guy, the song really showed that he knew he had gone too far. It served to show he wasn’t all bad. However, in the new version we already know that, so the song is perhaps not as revealing.

As for the court scene itself, or rather Mata’s dance break during it, Joohyun’s space work made the meaning of dance to her obvious. (It may be cheating because I saw an explanation she gave about the scene, but her actions were so clear that I think it would have been apparent anyway.) It was as if Louisa had become dance for her as well as her source of inner strength. Watching Mata then (and later when she cradled the last bouquet of flowers Anna brought her) made me think of Margaret as a mother. Somehow, until seeing the play this time, I had never really given that much thought to Mata as a mother. Yes, she had a child, but it mostly felt like she had just buried that part of her deep inside. This time, her motherliness was a constant part of her, even having lost her child.

I don’t know if it was the actors or me, but it was as if my ears and eyes were open to the story and drinking it in. Because I was so focused, I thought I wouldn’t cry (as if the emotional part of me was blocked by my absorption of the story). My eyes teared up a little a couple times, but I was fine. However, when Mata cried at Armand’s death, emotion took back over and a few tears escaped. (Honestly, how can you not cry when Ock Joohyun does though?) And Mata’s “One Last Time” is so heartbreaking, especially the kiss she blows when she is finally shotㅠㅠㅠㅠ Actually, that’s one thing about the last version it was a same to see go. I was talking to a friend, and she mentioned this as well. Not having the circular aspect of the play, opening and closing with the firing squad scene.

Cast: 마타하리 - 옥주현, 라무 대령 - 문종원, 안나 - 최나래

#170628 #Leo #Taekwoon #Armand #Taekrmand #택르망 #mata hari #mata hari musical #vixx #starlight #fan account #ock joo hyun

13 notes · View notes

dyde21 · 7 years

Text

Siren Part 1

The second story I am going to upload today. This one will be a two-parter, I’ll post the second part in a few days. I hope you enjoy! Oh, and this one is a bit... uh... more intense than usual I feel. Still nothing too dark but not quite my usual fluff. Part two though... =P Without further ado...

XxXxXxXxX

Pyrrha stared at the scene in front of her in horror, nearly dropping her sword in shock. She had prepared for many situations as they left for this mission, making sure she was ready for any sort of Grimm they could encounter, any environment they could find themselves in, any injuries one could reasonably expect to obtain. What she wasn't prepared for however, was to see her partner kissing, no, being kissed deeply by a strange women.

Some small, repressed part of her was repulsed in jealousy, but that part was stifled by concern as she saw her team's leader pushing against the woman's shoulders aggressively. It was clear he wasn't exactly enthused about the kiss, which both relieved and made Pyrrha's anger spike up. How DARE that woman use her partner in such a way.

She was about to rush forward when she saw Jaune's hands slowly struggle less, before falling limp at his side. When she stepped back, Jaune merely wobbled for a moment before collapsing like a sack of potatoes on the ground.

“Jaune...” Pyrrha cried out, frozen in terror. What had just happened?

“How dare you do that to our leader!” Nora cried out, switching her hammer to it's grenade launcher form. “Pyrrha was supposed to do that!” She snapped angrily, earning a confused look from the redhead before she fired off a round towards the enemy huntress.

The tall, raven haired, mature woman just smirked as she stood perfectly still. Nora's grenade exploded and the woman was encased in smoke.

Approaching carefully, Pyrrha prepared for a counter attack. She had to rescue Jaune, but she couldn't let her guard down in the moment. As the dust settled, she almost dropped her weapons yet again. Standing in front of the strange huntress, Jaune stood there braced behind his shield, having saved her from Nora's grenade.

“Jaune?” Pyrrha asked nervously. There's no reason her leader would suddenly have switched sides like that. Had he learned something during their little... “exchange”?

The woman cackled. “I'm sorry Hun, he can't really hear you right now. I'm afraid he's a little... infatuated with me at the moment. They don't call me Siren for nothing, you know.” She offered with a wink. The woman seemed to stare off in the distance for a moment. “Oh I see. So that's his story. Interesting.” She smirked. She draped an arm over his shoulder, gently drawing circles on his chest plate.

“He certainly is a fun little toy to have. I'm lucky to have met you all. I do hope he lasts longer than the last one.” She snickered.

“Jaune! I don't know what she did to you, but fight it!” Pyrrha called out, stepping forward in concern. His eyes were distant and unfocused.

Siren just laughed. “If only it was that easy to break my spell. No, the only way you can is... well.” She thought for a moment before grinning. “Ooo I just had a fun idea.”

She leaned closer to Jaune and Pyrrha rushed forward. Before Pyrrha could take more than a few steps though, the hand toying with Jaune's chest place shot up to his neck, gripping it tightly. The boy didn't even seem to react, but Pyrrha could tell how tightly she was holding it.

“One more step and I snap his neck like a twig.” She threatened, her voice dripping with malice as it lost it's playful tone. Seeing Pyrrha hesitate, before stepping backwards she smiled. “Good girl.”

Thinking for a moment she nodded to herself. “Yes, that will be the most fun.” Standing up, she placed both her hands on Jaune's shoulders, staring at the trio in front of her.

“Now I'm very aware you four are students. Facing a huntress isn't a very fair match-up now is it?” She thought for a moment. “So! Let's make things interesting. I'll make Jauney here my champion. If you can stop him, you guys win and I'll leave. If you can't well... at least Jaune won't be able to miss his friends.” She snickered evilly.

The rest of JNPR shared a glance. They knew their leader was improving, but his greatest strength was still as a tactician at the moment. In direct combat, Ren may struggle a bit, but they were confident both Nora and Pyrrha could subdue him. They had been lucky it hadn't been on of them controlled.

Siren just smirked at them. “I know everything about Jaune. He's my little puppet.” She called out, twirling her hand through the air as he began to twirl and dance in front of her like a marionette while his eyes carried the same glazed expression.

Pyrrha felt her stomach churn as she watched her best friend being toyed with like a lifeless doll.

“I know he still lags behind you despite how hard this poor boy works. 3V1 will hardly be fair.” She mused. “So I'll have to help him out just a little. 1V1 seems fair.” She said, with another nod to herself as she flicker her wrist, making Jaune finish his dance and bow.

“Our little kiss let me know all I needed to know about him. It certainly would be the most interesting to have him fight little Pyrrha over there, wouldn't it?” She offered, turning to Ren and Nora. “I'll have to keep you two busy.” She threatened with a predatory smile.

Pyrrha gripped her sword tighter. She trained with Jaune constantly. She knew his fighting style from the ground up. From the basics she taught him to the unique style he had developed himself. She would handle this herself.

As if reading her mind, Siren laughed. “You're not the only one who learned my dear, you should see how Jaune watches you. He studies your every move, his eyes are always on you.” She offered, laughing as she saw the red-haired girl blush. “He may not move as well as you do, but I can help him with that just a little.”

Jaune stepped forward, readying his sword and shield as Pyrrha mimicked him. She would end this quickly.

As Ren and Nora prepared to fight, Siren raised up a hand. “This is still a little too boring.” Leaning on Jaune's shoulder, she whispered in his ear.

Ever so slightly, Pyrrha saw Jaune's eyes return a little closer to normal.

“Jaune! You have to fight it.”

“You...”

She froze as she saw her partner begin to speak, seeing tears pour down his face.

“YOU KILLED PYRRHA!” He snapped at her, tears streaming down the blondes face.

Pyrrha backed up, shocked. “No, Jaune...” Before she could say anything else, her leader rushed forward, with a massive swing towards her.

“You killed Pyrrha! I'll destroy you!” He cried out, his face showing the agony he was in.

Pyrrha blocked his blow, surprised by the strength his rage induced state was in. Just what was he seeing? What had she done to him? She countered, swiping at him but when he flinched she paused. She didn't want to hurt her partner anymore than he already was.

Jaune however, had no such qualms. He pressed onward, swinging strike after strike with no hesitation towards Pyrrha.

Pyrrha winced one of the sword swings glanced her. The siren hadn't lied, Jaune's movement seemed the slightest bit faster and smoother, and his rage seemed to be drawing out all of his strength. Plus, Jaune must have been watching her. Every move or countered she tried, he seemed to be expecting and in his enhanced conditions he could at least attempt to respond to.

The hesitation in her heart and sword was causing her to be pushed back by her friend.

Glancing over, she saw Ren and Nora struggling in their own battle. The Siren didn't seem to only work through puppets, but rather her strength was on par with the other professionals they had seen. Nora's brute strength and Ren's agility was barely able to keep up with her. Pyrrha figured that controlling and boosting Jaune's strength must be distracting her and limiting her, so at least at the moment Ren and Nora could hold their own.

Focusing on Jaune, she parried his strike, planting her foot in his chest and kicking him back. She saw him wince as he slammed into a tree. “I'm sorry.” She mumbled meekly.

“I'll never forgive you! You killed Pyrrha!” He roared out as he launched forward, suddenly dropping into a tackle as he slammed into her gut, knocking them both onto the ground.

Both of their swords and shields were discarded in the brawl.

Pyrrha however, was more experienced in this form of combat than Jaune was. They hadn't worked together too much on grappling, since learning to beat Grimm was more important at the moment, and she didn't figure he'd be suplexing any Ursa anytime soon.

Slamming her elbow into his chin and stunning him for a moment, she rolled over and grabbed his arm. She yanked it up, as she placed her legs on either side of it with one over his neck as she held it tight in an arm bar. “Give up Jaune!” She called out. Hopefully the pain could at least stop him.

That didn't seem to be the case however. As Jaune continued to struggle more and more, she felt his arm pulling tight and she knew if this kept up she'd snap it in half. Faltering, she let go of the hold. She couldn't snap his arm, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

Before she could attempt to shift into a choke hold, she was surprised as she felt his fist connect to her chin. She yelped and fell backwards, scrambling to regain her composure. That punch had hurt. Clearly the boxing practice Yang had given him at her request had paid off. He certainly knew how to throw a hook.

Jaune scrambled on top of her, struggling to pin her and wrap his hands around her neck. Pyrrha's eyes widened as she saw him still crying as he struggled to get a good choke on her. She could see the absolute anguish he was in. Whatever Siren was making him see and think could only be horrific. Feeling a new surge of anger in her, she pushed back with two glowing hands. Jaune's armor glowed as he shot backwards off her.

Not wasting a breath, Pyrrha had already shot forward after him. A moment after he landed, Pyrrha had climbed on him. She straddled his chest, pinning both of his arms under her legs as she pushed down on his shoulders with her hands.

“Jaune! Snap out of it! It's me! Pyrrha!” She cried out.

Jaune thrashed, but was unable to free himself. “Liar! Pyrrha's dead! You killed her! I saw you!” He cried out.

Nora looked up as she heard the sound of flesh striking flesh as she saw Pyrrha's outstretched hand after she had slapped him hard. Wincing, Nora realized how hard she must have hit to make that sound.

Pyrrha lowered her face down, staring at him intently. “Jaune! Look at me. I'm alive. We're alive. Fight it. Your mind is being messed with!” She plead with him desperately.

Jaune just struggled, but stared at her, slowly lying still. He blinked a few times. “Pyr... Pyrrha?” He asked, squinting. “Pyrrha... is that...”

“Pyrrha! Look out!” Ren cried out.

Before Pyrrha could react, Nora slammed into her and they both went tumbling out to the side.

Siren stood up from having thrown Nora. “Oopsies. That was close. I guess leaving him aware is too much of a risk, stubborn boy.” She snapped her hands as Jaune shot up, grabbing his sword and shield and running to her side, taking up a defensive stance.

Scrambling to her feet, Pyrrha practically let out a growl. She had been so close to saving Jaune. Judging from Nora's condition though, it wasn't like she had elected to been thrown.

Siren just laughed. “You all really are an interesting bunch. Not many of my toys are as resistant as this one is.” Her smile slowly drained from her face. “We can't allow that. It seems he's lost the privilege of thinking.”

She snapped her fingers, and Pyrrha saw the anger and pain he had been dealing with completely fade from his face. In fact, all expressions melted away. A blank lifeless stare was all that was left.

The rage inside Pyrrha boiled up to a level that scared even her. She stared at Siren with such a hatred, Ren and Nora took a step back. Pyrrha was beyond tired off seeing their beloved leader being toyed with.

Pyrrha rushed forward, seeing Jaune match her movements. Jabbing forward with her spear, she prepared for his parry and counter attack. What she hadn't been expecting was her spear to practically stab his side as he continued to move forward and slash at her from inside her guard.

She lept backwards, wincing. Her aura had absorbed the blow, but that had hurt. More surprisingly was the fact Jaune had taken her stab without flinching. His aura had worked as intended, absorbing the blow instead of him actually being impaled, but he hadn't reacted to it at all.

“A broken toy like him doesn't need to worry about silly things like self preservation. If it makes you feel better, he won't be able to feel the damage his body takes.” She snickered out.

Jaune rushed forward again, his lifeless expression boring into Pyrrha's gaze. She knew she would never be able to forget that look.

Blocking and parrying, Pyrrha was scared to attack back. Seeing an opening, she flashed out with her sword but he merely pressed on, letting the swipe hit him dead on as he counter attacked, slicing at her leg.

Pyrrha hopped backwards, wincing again as she dropped to a knee. Her hit had done far more damage on Jaune, but again he stood there as if he was a doll, unflinching in the face of pain. She knew she could disarm him with her semblance if she timed it right, but that thought scared her. Facing an opponent with no sense of self preservation with a sword and shield could mean his death, and if she went unarmed as well, he could win from the sheer inability to feel pain meaning her strikes and holds would be useless.

Pyrrha knew she'd have to subdue him through sword and shield combat. She was familiar enough with him that she could control the battle well enough to tip it in her favor carefully. She was about to press forward again, when she saw him turn and sprint.

A moment later, Nora appeared suddenly behind Siren, in the middle of a massive swing as electricity crackled around her body.

The ground cracked and a cloud of dust erupted around the pair again. When it settled, Pyrrha gasped in horror.

Nora's hammer had connected with Jaune's shield. He was frozen like a statue, both hands bracing his shield as his feet dug into the ground.

“Jaune...” Nora whispered, backing up.

Slowly Jaune just stood up, taking his normal stance as if nothing was wrong. Behind him, Siren shook her head. “You should thank me that he can't feel pain right now. He did good blocking that, but it has taken practically all the aura he had left, and I can't imagine his arms are in good condition right now. She mused.

The rest of JNPR grouped up, looking at their leader in absolute horror. It was painfully obvious how bruised and battered his body was. Yet he stood there as if not a single thing was wrong, still watching them with that blank expression. All three of the students were practically shaking in anger, and tears were streaming down Pyrrha's face.

“Just stop this.” She said quietly, looking up at Siren. “Just stop this! Don't put us through this.”

Siren stared at them, thinking. “Fine.” Snapping her fingers, Jaune lowered his shield and raised his sword. Spinning it around, he quickly jabbed it straight towards his stomach.

“No!” Pyrrha cried out desperately.

At the last second Siren snapped again, as Jaune froze in place, his sword just beginning to push against his hoodie. “I thought you wanted me to stop toying with him?”

Pyrrha stepped forward, hands shaking. “I. Will. End. You.” Her eyes snapped up, staring at Siren. She had had enough, she'd been pushed too far. No one, NO ONE did this to her partner.

Siren just sighed. “You still haven't learned, have you?” Snapping her fingers, Jaune rushed forward.

Pyrrha anticipated this, and with a wave of her hand, his shield shot downwards as Pyrrha struck forward. Her punch connected to his jaw and he was sent tumbling backwards as she saw his aura glow before shattering around his body.

Still, dutifully he staggered to his feet, still staring at Pyrrha. Rushing forward, he swiped out with another strike. Pyrrha parried it before striking out with the butt of her sword, slamming it into the side of his head and making him collapse on the ground.

Siren laughed and raised an eyebrow. “Well that was cold of you. He doesn't even have any Aura left. These wounds will be real you know?”

Rushing towards her, Pyrrha's eyes were hard. “I know.”

Laughing, Siren hopped back until she she felt a kick from Ren stop her momentum as Nora slammed her with her hammer, sending her back towards Pyrrha.

Pyrrha was about to strike out when Jaune once again dove forward.

Spinning in place, Pyrrha side stepped him and slammed her shield into his hand, wincing as she heard a crack as Jaune dropped his shield. Planting her foot in his side, she kicked him away. She felt daggers of pain pierce her heart as she watched her partner tumble away, but she continued to glare at Siren.

Siren backed up, rubbing her shoulder where Nora had hit her. “Well this is unexpected. You two seemed close from his memories. Have you finally given up on the loser?”

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes. “I'm going to stop you.”

Siren laughed. “Even if it means going through Jaune? Do you really think he'll forgive you? You just broke his hand, and I'm sure a rib was just fractured.”

Pyrrha glanced at Ren and Nora, before they all burst out laughing.

Faltering for the first time, Siren looked at her accusingly. “What's so funny?” She snapped.

Pyrrha just smiled, even as she saw Jaune get up and stumble his way between them. “Of course he will. Jaune is so selfless, it's worrying.” Pyrrha spoke fondly.

Ren nodded. “He wouldn't hold this against us, he knows we don't want to do this.”

Nora giggled. “If he could talk, he'd probably be saying something like 'Save yourself guys! Just leave me behind!'” She spoke in a deep voice, mimicking Jaune's.

Pyrrha giggled, knowing that's probably exactly what he'd say in this situation. Soon though the humor died on her lips as she stared past Jaune, glaring at Siren.

“Even if he didn't, that wouldn't stop me. If it means saving my partner, I will do whatever it takes. Even if he would hate me for the rest of his life, I would go through hell for him.” She spoke firmly as she rushed forward yet again.

Jaune rushed forward as Siren hopped back, but found herself engaging with a renewed Ren and Nora again.

His shield hand had been broken, so Jaune struck out with just his sword.

Pyrrha knew this was her chance. As much as it pained her, Jaune had been hurt to the point where even without acting in self preservation, he couldn't keep up with her enough to harm either himself or her. Parrying his strike, his sword flailed upwards. Waving her glowing hand, his sword shot out of his loosened grip and across the clearing. Discarding her sword and shield, Pyrrha launched herself forward as she tackled his chest. Slamming him onto the ground, she straddled his waist as she yanked his good arm behind his back by reaching around him. With her other hand she reached up and grabbed his collar.

She had had one last plan in her mind. It was absolutely insane, probably completely ineffective, likely worth her getting slapped for, but it was her only shot. Pulling his collar forward she pressed her lips to his.

Nora was nearly struck by Siren's whip as she froze in place when she saw Pyrrha straddling her partner, kissing him on the ground. “This isn't how I expected that to happen.” She remarked, a small smirk on her face.

“Nora! Focus!” Ren snapped, rushing forward to block Siren's kick to save Nora.

“Right! Sorry Ren.” She offered as she dashed around him, following up on an opening to attack Siren.

After a few moments Pyrrha pulled back. She was still ready to shift her wait and get him in a sleeper hold if her plan hadn't worked, but Jaune wasn't moving.

He just stared at her blankly, before slowly but surely life returned to his eyes. “Pyr-rha?” He asked softly.

Pyrrha couldn't stop the tears that flowed down her face. “Oh Jaune. You're back. You're back Jaune. I'm so glad.” She cried out, burying her her head into his neck for a moment.

“What... happened?” He asked, before his eyes widened and he let out a scream of pain.

Pyrrha jumped at his scream. She realized all the damage he had accumulated must have been suddenly hitting his sense.

Jaune just gasped in pain as he felt different parts of his body light up in a burning pain. He noticed his left hand was completely unusable to him. Looking at Pyrrha in confusion, he saw her just staring down at him in horror.

She quickly got off him, hugging him gently. “I'm sorry Jaune. I'm so sorry.” She murmured.

Jaune just gasped in pain, before he felt his mind start to go foggy. A moment later Pyrrha felt her partner go limp in his arms.

She began to panic, until she saw him breathing slowly. Gently laying him down, she figured the pain must have been too much for him so suddenly and he had passed out. She gently kissed his forehead before she stood up, summoning her weapons to her. She marched towards Siren who was beginning to get fed up with fighting Ren and Nora.

With a quick crack of her whip, both of them were sent flying backwards. “That's it! Not only did you take my toy from me, now you're actually starting to get on my nerves. Don't forget that I'm a huntress. I'm done playing with you. Do you really expect a bunch of student's to beat a huntress?”

“They don't have to.” A new voice suddenly rang out.

Siren whipped around, but it was too late. A massive ball of fire exploded against her chest, sending her sliding backwards.

Emerging from the trees, Doctor Oobleck appeared. His overcoat had been torn as he pushed his glasses back.

“Now I must admit, I'm quite angry right now. I do not appreciate you toying with my students like this. No I dare say you went way too far for someone of your level. While I do commend them for holding you off while I was held up, they're part is done. Now while I prefer to think of myself as a thinking man, it's rather obvious what the correct course of action here. You must be punished for what you've done.” He rambled out quickly, his eyes narrowing as he readied his flame thrower.

“Doctor Oobleck!” Pyrrha called out in relief. He had stayed back earlier when they had encountered a smuggling operation going on in the forest they were clearing out for their mission. He had ordered them to retreat to a location for a better signal and call for reinforcements. That was when they had run into Siren.

Siren glared at Oobleck. “Now this really isn't fun anymore. Though, I suppose you'll be a much more fun of a toy to play with. Now then I sh-” She was cut off as Nora suddenly appeared, her hammer slamming into her shoulder and sending her rocketing to the side.

“When did you-” Her gaze shifted over to Ren who was kneeling on the ground with his hand on it. She winced, trying to regain her balance. She turned, ready to land when she suddenly saw Pyrrha's knee closing in on her face.

Pyrrha couldn't remember much of the fight after that. It had sort of blurred together for her, though Nora later explained that it was a good thing Jaune had passed out otherwise he would have been too scared to ever speak to her again if he saw her like that.

When Siren was unconscious and restrained, they had all gathered around Jaune.

Finishing looking over his wounds Oobleck sighed.

“It seems he will be okay. He definitely has a broken hand, a few ribs were broken as well. I can't say for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had quite a few fractures littered throughout his body. But over all, you guys did well on subduing him without too much trouble. Yes, I fear I must apologize to you. When I ordered you back it was for your safety, I was going to clean up the smugglers myself. However, never did I expect the fugitive Siren to be here. No, I should have expected them to have a leader of some sort. Forgive me.” He offered.

Ren just placed a hand on his shoulder. “It's over, and that's what matters.”

Pyrrha just had Jaune's head resting in her lap as she bit her lip to stop the tears. Now that the fight was over and the adrenaline was leaving her system, all the guilt flooded her. She had hurt him so much. She could still hear the sounds of his hand bones cracking under her strike. She knew her leader would forgive her, but she wasn't sure she could forgive herself. She gently brushed his hair aside as she just stared down at him. What she wouldn't give to trade places with him.

The rest of her team hadn't been able to get a word from her until the sound of support echoed out and they saw a medical team approaching.

The trip to the hospital had been a somber one, no one able to fill the silence as they looked at their broken and battered leader.

When they had announced that Jaune had finally woken up, Pyrrha had practically exploded the door off it's hinges as she rushed into the room. She had paused when she found herself staring back at her favorite pair of blue eyes though, suddenly unsure of what to say. “Jaune, I'm s-”

“Thank you.” He burst out suddenly. This had caused Pyrrha to pause, looking up at him.

Jaune looked down at his busted hand before looking at her a little sheepishly. “Thank you for saving me. I'm sorry I got caught like that. I know I'm supposed to be the leader, but I caused you so much trouble.” He started off, his gaze drooping.

Of course he's worried about disappointing us. Pyrrha mused to herself. Gently she moved over, ever so softly resting her hand on his shoulder.

“Jaune, you did nothing wrong. None of us knew what to expect, and she had gotten the drop on us. I'm... I'm sorry I hurt you so much. I know you must be mad. I should have been able to subdue you without hurting you so much.” She started out, feeling tears well up in the corner of her eyes.

Jaune just stared at her, reaching over with his good hand and brushing a strand of hair behind her ears. “I can't be mad at you. You saved my life. Sure I'm a little hurt.” He said, laughing awkwardly. “But at least I'm me again. Besides, I had attacked you too. She made me... I thought... you were dead. You were her, and I had just watched her kill you. I lost it... I thought...”

Pyrrha shook her head. “She was in your head. It's not your fault.”

“Then it's not your fault either. It's Siren's, and I heard that she's behind bars now.” He offered.

Pyrrha nodded. “She was detained.”

“After Pyrrha beat the snot outta her!” Nora added helpfully. “You shoulda seen her, I'm pretty sure Siren was even scared at the end. We helped of course.”

Pyrrha blushed. “I wasn't that bad.”

Chuckling for a bit, Jaune suddenly burst into a fight of coughs.

Fluttering next to him, Pyrrha wished she could come up with some way to help him. Glancing at him after a moment, noticing him still looking a little dejected she smiled. “You know, you certainly have improved. When you get serious you are quite strong. Especially your right hook.” She mumbled, rubbing her jaw.

Jaune just blushed, looking away. “Sorry about your jaw.”

Pyrrha just shook her head. “I did something similar. But I do think we should work on some more hand to hand combat, you seem to have a knack for it. You could go far with it.” She offered thoughtfully, wondering how she would be able to work it into their practice schedule.

After a moment Ren cleared his throat. “Uh, heads up.”

Before anyone could ask what he meant, they heard what he had heard. A thunderous roar of footsteps. A moment later Ruby had burst through the door, followed by the rest of team RWBY. Pyrrha had to physically intercept Ruby to prevent her from glomping her friend.

Jaune just smiled, seeing all of his friends there for him. He realized, even when he was in trouble, he could trust his life to his friends. He had some wonderful people looking out for him, and vowed that one day he would be able to return the favor for them.

XxXxXxXxX

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. I will be posting the aftermath in a day or two when I finish typing it. It will have plenty of fluff to make up for what I put him through in this chapter. Till then I hope you have a wonderful day!

#rwby #arkos #Jaune Arc #pyrrha nikos #fanfic #Siren #Poor Jaune #I'll make it up to him though.

26 notes · View notes

bnvupdates · 6 years

Text

Virtual Reality & Documentary Filmmaking: What’s Next? Has Society Become Desensitized?

“What if I could present you a story that you remember with your entire body and not just with your mind?” asks journalist and virtual reality pioneer Nonny De La Peña.

When it comes to VR, science fiction, gaming, and simulated reality have the potential to really change up the way we experience entertainment as well as storytelling. De La Peña’s Ted Talk “The Future of News? Virtual Reality” centers around the idea of creating an alternate or parallel reality to convey news through that is just as engaging as a video game, increasing the chance that immersive journalism will appeal to the ethos of the masses in a way never achieved before.

Unfortunately, the nature and format of today’s news broadcasts move too fast for VR technology to keep up with, as stories that unfold and are reported on might stay in the news cycle for a day or two at most. Creating an accurate, immersive experience can take weeks, meaning that this new form of journalism is going to have to cut its teeth on subject matter and issues that are more static before they can cater to the dynamacy of daily current events. Documentary filmmaking is a great medium to begin this journey, allowing for content creators to take their time and become immersed in issues themselves, so as to more accurately recreate and reconvey that immersion. Here are a few examples of, as well as possible caveats to, this revolutionary new platform.

How “Real” Could It Be?

Nonny De La Peña’s quest to change the face of journalism really took off in 2012, when her piece titled “Hunger in L.A.” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. This was the first experience of its kind, recreating a situation in which a diabetic homeless man in an overcrowded foodbank line collapses from low blood sugar and begins seizing on the sidewalk.

“I wanted to do a piece about hunger,” says De La Peña in her Ted Talk. “Families in America are going hungry, food banks are overwhelmed, and they’re often running out of food. Now, I knew I couldn’t make people feel hungry, but maybe I could figure out a way to get them to feel something physical.”

She then shows people with VR goggles on, experiencing this immersive recreation. They have a wide berth of space to move around in, but all seem transfixed on the spot where they perceive the seizing man would be in their simulated reality. Some step around this spot gingerly, careful not to “step on” the virtual man. Almost universally, people reacted somewhat empathetically.

“…this kind of reaction ended up being the kind of reaction we saw over and over and over: people down on the ground trying to comfort the seizure victim, trying to whisper something into his ear or in some way help, even though they couldn’t,” says De La Peña. “And I had a lot of people come out of that piece saying, ‘Oh my God, I was so frustrated. I couldn’t help the guy,’ and take that back into their lives.”

The Empathy Machine, For Better or Worse

People like De La Peña hope that letting people experience the news instead of just reporting it to them will drive change via empathetic response. The recent hurricanes that have devastated Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico offer great examples of how this process could blossom. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have caused between $150 billion and $200 billion in damages, while Hurricane Maria crippled Puerto Rico, leaving many without food, water, or housing. While immersive journalism at its peak could have helped garner a more immediate response, critical help in all three of these areas will be needed for years to come. Social workers in particular “remain on the scene for months or even years after a traumatic event to assist members of the local population suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other trauma-related disorders,” according to Case Western Reserve University’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.

While it’s hard to measure the impact of documentary filmmaking beyond social media activity, people like De La Peña have proven that immersive experiences evoke empathetic responses. The logical conclusion would be that a higher amount of empathetic responses will result in further action beyond simply raising awareness, compelling people to act and help in whatever way they can. Unfortunately, some people worry that the use of VR as an empathy machine is played out, or even that it doesn’t create true empathy, but rather the “illusion of empathy”.

Game developer Robert Yang recently published an argument against VR as an “empathy machine,” writing that “if you won’t believe someone’s pain unless they wrap an expensive 360 video around you, then perhaps you don’t actually care about their pain… In this political sense, VR can’t actually offer any embodiment, transparency, or immediacy to anyone. At best, VR can only offer the illusion of empathy.”

At worst, some believe, VR can create empathy that is misused or exploited. At 2017’s Tribeca Film Festival, the VR film Extravaganza explores this premise. Adi Robertson, writing for The Verge, explains:

“In Extravaganza, a media executive tries out the headset, which he’s been told is an ‘empathy machine.’ But all it plays are puppet shows full of (literally) balloon-breasted women and crude racial stereotypes, who are slaughtered — to the man’s amusement — by a monocled 19th century explorer. According to creator Ethan Shaftel, it critiques the way that a new medium can reproduce old forms of bigotry. “This puppet show was clearly made for people like him, by people like him, and it’s certainly not making the world any better,” said Shaftel. The technology might be new, but “this show’s already been made and programmed, and will never change.”

Society Desensitized

One of the worst possible outcomes of widespread VR in documentary filmmaking and journalism is that people may simply become desensitized to content which they would normally evoke empathy, due to overexposure to and even manipulative tactics in immersive media. Citizen journalism, for example, now utilizes video captured by those who have experienced current events to convey news from a bystander’s perspective. “Media outlets have begun to harness the unbridled power of citizen journalism by establishing social media profiles, engaging with their viewers and attempting to grow online communities,” writes Anastasia Passaris on the Clipchamp Blog.

This is the same type of footage that was streamed live on Facebook, capturing the aftermath of Philando Castille’s fatal shooting in Minnesota, as well as the events unfolding during the devastating festival shooting by Stephen Paddock in Las Vegas. These user-shot videos containing violent, terrifying images, are becoming commonplace in social media feeds as well as on the news. Would further immersion help the average viewer truly understand how that situation felt? Or would these representations be treated as perverted facsimiles of sorts, that allow users to enter and experience those situations without having to level with the profound consequences and emotions that follow said experiences?

While it’s uncertain what type of impact VR journalism and documentaries will have, it is certain that people like Nonny De La Peña will continue to strive to steer the field in a positive direction. However, as VR movies and video games emerge that replicate immersive violence and hardship for the sake of entertainment, those waters could get muddy, further blurring the lines between what is “virtual” and what is “reality”. Nevertheless, this technology represents a way to share and remember experiences at a level never achieved before, bringing with it the potential to make the most connected societies in human history actually feel that way: connected.

________

Author: Andy is a health, tech, and futurism enthusiast from the outskirts of the lush, Pacific Northwest. When he’s not writing, you can find him working on his latest audio mix, going on a run, or rolling d20s with friends. Follow him on Twitter @AndyO_TheHammer.

from http://ift.tt/2j5a1Qc

1 note · View note

storytelling-aha · 6 years

Text

When exactly does a story have a villain in the first place?

Remember when I started my posting with saying something like “the really good stories don't have a villain, yes there are stories with villains that are good, but they are only second division good, never prime division good”? So I started to think about this some more, and as I did so, something strange happened:

I was puzzled, as I found myself unable to answer a seemingly super simple questions:

Which of my favourite stories have villains, and which ones don't?

Now on the face of it, the way to answer this question seems straight forward enough:

You decide for a definition for the word “villain”, and then you check your different stories for potential candidates that might qualify.

What is a villain? A villain is a character who commits “evil acts”.

He will often act as the antagonist of the protagonist.

And he may - or may not --- be some kind of “hate sink”, to use tvtropes speak. (If he's not, he is a likeable villain.)

But then next, as I was trying to apply this to my favourite series, something strange happened:

Does Pinocchio (Japanese/German TV series of the 70s) have a villain?

(In case you should happen to know this.)

Well …

According to the definition, Fox and Cat clearly commit “evil” acts, and they do try to frame Pinocchio a lot, especially in the early episodes, which probably makes it justified to call them “aversaries” to Pinocchio.

And yet they don't FEEL like villains, because it is a part of the genius of this story, that it starts by showing situations where they try to frame Pinocchio, and later moves on to showing stories where, while they very much stay in character, the two of them and Pinocchio often end up on one end of the conflict, functioning almost as a kind of team.

Or maybe team is a bit too much, but they accept him far more as an equal, and they are kind of forced to ask him to help them out of some kind of calamity they got themselves in more than once. Also it becomes more and more clear that Pinocchio is physically stronger than they are, especially when he is experiencing anger. All of this leads to a change in the character of their relationship, from Pinocchio being their victim, to being their associate, or even

So how about the Puppet Master then?

Well --- the puppet master actually is never portayed as evil. Yes he buys Pinocchio from the Fox and the Cat, but he got framed by them, as much as Pinocchio himself. And eventually, he releases Pinocchio, with a handsome sum of money to boot.

So how about the Coachdriver, who lures them to toy land, to get them transformed into donkeys --- surely HE is a villain then?

Well ….

There is a little problem here, that both with the puppet master, and even after he got sold to the circus to perform, Pinocchio actually enjoys being on stage so much, that it would be kind of misleading to call the Coachdriver his adversary.

Yes the coachdriver has “bad intentions” towards Pinocchio. As do the fox and the cat ---- initially. But at the same time, in a way, it's nothing personal. It's kind of what they do.

Similarly for “The Wire”. Yes there are lots of characters who go around hurting other people. But again, it's kind of what they do, who they are.

They are clearly not villains in the same sense, as, say, Frank in “Once upon a time in America”. So what IS the difference? What is this mysterious quality that makes the one a villain, and the other not really?

At which stage, I had what felt like a kind of epiphany:

What if the whole question of whether or not a character is a villain isn't really determined what they do, or whether or not they are in conflict with some of our protagonists ---- but much more determined by how the protagonist, or, on a more profound level, the author himself perceives them?

Think of the difference between how a child might approach the world, in comparison to how a grown-up might approach the world.

To a child, yes, there are scary entities out there, that might try to eat him (let's say it's a boy), enslave him or sell him. Which he is going to have strong ideas about, as long as it concerns him personally. But not necessarily, when it doesn't concern him. This is one of the things that makes being with children up to a certain age or animals so enjoyable: They don't judge you.

They want to hear scary stories. They want to escape the witch that feeds them to eat them ---- but once they escaped, it is not absolutely necessary that they feel a need to punish her, or kill her.

Feeling this is a very grown-upy thing to do. As grown-ups, we start to get stronger amd stronger ideas about what is and what isn't okay for another person to do, and we start to develop these ideas of “setting things right”, punishing people for their bad deeds, making sure they don't do it to someone other than us, etc. etc.

Whereas as kids, we may actually think of them a bit more in the way that we as grownups may think of carnivores:

Yes, they may try to hunt and eat humans when the occasion arises --- but that's just what they do, it's nothing to take personal or react moralistically to.

I think I may have been kind of primed for that shift of thoughts trough thinking about the nature of “cuckolding” porn stories some weeks ago.

Tell me:

Think of a story where “some guy'ss girl fucks another guy without asking her boyfriend's consent (and without trying to hide it from him)”.

Now tell me:

When is it justified to call this a story about cuckolding?

And my answer there was:

If --- and only if! --- the boyfriend thinks of this of having been cuckolded!

It isn't determined by the actions of the girl and the other guy alone.

As soon as the boyfriend doesn't feel cuckolded ---- it is a story of “wife sharing”, or something along those lines, but not a story of cuckolding.

Applied to the case of the villain

You get a story of a villain --- if and only if the the writers believe in the existence of villains.

And the writers of Pinocchio or The Wire or The Sopranos and yes also of “Breaking Bad” just don't believe in villains. (It has been argued that Walter White clearly and unequivocally turns out as a villain, as in “heartless killer that commits that most outrageous acts to sever his own selfish obsessions”, but I would strongly contest that. Walter White is not a villain.)

You get a villain, when the author wants to see a villain.

Or maybe even:

You get a villain, depending on whether or not YOU want to see a villain.

Yes, Disney films have villains. Because … I was going to say the writers are simpletons, but it would probably be more correct to say that Disney himself was, and that it became part of the Disney brand and formula.

But maybe even “The Night of the Hunter” ultimately really doesn't have a villain, who knows. It all depends on what you see when you watch it. It depends on YOU, more than the author; and that may be part of the genius the author, to have it written in such a way to supporz these diverse ways of watching it.

0 notes

thesrhughes · 7 years

Text

Video Games for Writers

New Post has been published on http://thesrhughes.com/video-games-for-writers/

Video Games for Writers

Hello, imaginary friends, and welcome to my process blog. Today, I’m going to write, believe it or not, about some good video games for writers to play. Besides reading, obviously, video games are my primary source of entertainment. This isn’t to speak ill of television or film, but to speak well of the VG media. Video games are involving, challenging, entertaining, increasingly mature, and more daring than ever. The better ones involve fully realized characters, involved (if sometimes needlessly complicated) plots, and an amazing sense of pace. The best of them can even teach us something about the creative process–structure, story, and keeping the attention of the generally inattentive.

(As usual, I will throw in a writing prompt at the end.)

Without further ado, I will present my admittedly biased list of games that writers should play.

Alan Wake

Alan Wake makes the list in part because the main character is a writer, and because writing (and the creative process in general) is a key element of the plot. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything.

Alan Wake also makes the list because it shows how media can be flexible, experimental, and still engaging and fun. Alan Wake is a video game presented as a TV-esque episodic, the plot of which centers around a novel (and the creative process that produced said novel). The game contains elements of all three media…and it doesn’t stop there! It also plays with mixing and melding different genres. Mystery, horror, thriller, and action genres are all twined together throughout the gameplay and story. The game is a wonderful example of story over structure. It doesn’t care to adhere to any specific genre, any specific medium, any specific tropes or expectations–it mixes and matches with reckless abandon, and it’s a game that’s all the stronger for it.

A writer can take a lot away from that. Alan Wake may primarily be an action/horror game, but it uses motifs and tropes from action/comedies, mystery thrillers, even buddy-cop movies. It doesn’t force its story (or gameplay) into a media- or genre-specific toolbox, it just keeps opening more toolboxes. You can do the same thing! Write a Lovecraftian action-western! If you run into a dead-end, open the pulp-noir toolbox and fish something out. Another dead-end? Open the buddy-cop toolbox.

Alan Wake also makes another important point: you can only pull all of this off if it’s still fun, if it’s still internally-consistent, and if you can keep your audience’s attention. It does all of that, by the way. It’s fun as hell. I recommend playing it not only for its willingness to open all the toolboxes, but also because it’s a roaring good time.

The Stanley Parable

Sometimes, your characters will surprise you. So it goes in The Stanley Parable, a fun little playable-essay on video game design, narrative structure, and the wild unpredictability of characters.

In The Stanley Parable, you play the role of Stanley. Your time in the game is narrated by an exacting, well, narrator. The narrator is trying to tell a story. Unfortunately, you’re just as likely to work against the story as you are to work with it. Since you’re the player, after all, you get to make the choices.

I think this is a remarkable game for several reasons. First: it’s funny as hell. Second: it’s a real hoot to play through. Third: it captures, very well, the struggle a narrator can have with their characters.

As writers, we develop characters to be people. We want them to be complex, to have depth and consciousness, to have contradictions and flaws. We want them to be as human as possible. And if we’ve done our job well, they will occasionally surprise us. I couldn’t count the number of times I’ve written up an outline only to realize, halfway through, that one (or more) characters would never ever follow through with it. They go ahead and do what makes sense for them and I’m left to scrap the outline and start again. It’s very frustrating.

A very similar relationship evolves between Stanley and The Narrator. As Stanley, you are the character. Yes, you could do everything the narrator tells you to do. It’s quite easy that way, actually. But, ultimately, it feels sparse, boring, uninvolved. You go through the motions without real meaning, rolling your eyes half the way, and the ending becomes a kind of mockery.

I won’t give away more. It’s a playable and replayable game and I hope you give it a spin.

The lesson is this: well-designed characters will surprise you. Don’t try to hammer them back into shape. The more you try to force characters to fit your outline, the less human they will seem. If you deprive your characters of agency, they become boring. Readers want human characters. Characters who make their own decisions (or seem to, at least). Realistic characters with agency and contradictions and a sense of self! So don’t fight them too much, or the whole thing will break down…

Spec Ops: The Line

In an action game, you expect to kill people. You expect firefights and explosions and huge set pieces. Fierce enemies, intense action sequences, and high-octane plot lines. What you don’t expect? Moral consequence. Judgment. Guilt. Intellectual and emotional confusion.

Spec Ops: The Line is an action game that hates action games. It’s a game that changed the way I thought about war. And it’s a done-and-done-again adaptation of Heart of Darkness.

My experience with Spec Ops: The Line is lengthy and complicated. It shocked me into doing research on veterans’ affairs, moral injury, PTSD, and the alarming ways in which we, as a nation, discard our returning soldiers. It sounds shallow and awful and trite, but this game drove me to interview veterans, to read essays and forum posts, and to pore through articles and books.

It started when I shot a civilian in the middle of a heated, three-way firefight. She was running through a maze of alleys and Walker (the POV character the player controls) had been harried from all sides by assailants. I turned a corner, saw a figure charging at me, and reacted. Then I watched as a woman screamed in pain, dropped to the ground, and died while clutching the wound in her stomach. Before I had time to come to terms with what I’d done, someone else was already shooting at me. I had to keep moving.

Things got worse from there.

But I won’t make this article about my The Line experience. That could be an article in and of itself. The point I want to make is this: this game changed my emotional response to the world around me. I’d read Heart of Darkness and seen Apocalypse Now, but it was Spec Ops: The Line that dug its claws into my heart and tore it up.

Are you worried that you’re writing a story that’s been done before? Don’t be. Heart of Darkness has been adapted into at least two different films. Its plot has been mirrored and paralleled in countless novels and novella. There are callbacks to Heart of Darkness littered all through our media. I’ve experienced plenty of them. But this one hit me like a Mack truck. So if you’re working on a project, and you’re worried it’s been done before…stop worrying. You never know. Yours might just be the one that changes someone’s life.

Metro 2033/Metro Last Light

Setting. Setting is very important. We’ll have a process blog entry on that point, soon enough. But setting is also very difficult in storied sci-fi/fantasy settings–it has to be delivered without too much exposition. Readers don’t want history lessons. They don’t want long explanations. They want more story.

The games (based on the Metro 2033 series of novels, which I own but have not read yet) do an incredible job with setting. At one point in Last Light, an old, gray-haired man is doing shadow-puppets for a group of children. As the show went on, the children stopped recognizing the animals. Many of them were extinct. The old man became exasperated, trying to explain beauty to people who had never seen it. Eventually, he gives up and tells them to go home and come back the next day.

Most of the setting and world-detail of these games is provided by such events. A slew of graffiti on a subway wall, a group of children chasing rats with sharp sticks. A corpse found in the sewer with a hole in its head, an old gun clutched in its rotting hands. A family who tries to kill you…and when you kill them, first, you find a chopped up corpse in their fridge.

You don’t really need to know the ‘how’ or ‘why’ of these things. The ‘what’ is enough. Nobody moans a history at you, nobody drunkenly recounts the long tale of the apocalypse. Nobody needs to. The tale is there to be seen. And if there are strange creatures, unholy mutants, and desperate ghosts in the subway tunnels? Of course there are. The world has made it clear that this is not mankind’s kingdom any more.

Play this game because it does the best job of expressing setting and history of any game I’ve ever played.

Life is Strange

Life is Strange is one of the most heart-wrenching, emotional games I have ever played, and I have played a lot of games.

The main character of Life is Strange gets a special power: she can reverse time. But while most games outfit you with an ability to go tangle with great forces and perform amazing feats, Life is Strange just puts you in the shoes of a teenage girl trying to navigate life. The reverse-time ability doesn’t let you fight monsters, it just lets you make different decisions. When you see a police officer harassing a young woman, what do you do? (1) take a photo as evidence?, (2) intervene directly?, (3) ignore it?, (4) do any of the above, but then backtrack and investigate what really happened? Each choice leads to a very different set of consequences, and reverse-time powers or not, you’ll have to choose one of them sooner or later.

There’s a lot to learn and unpack from Life is Strange. There’s the fashion in which the player can rough-draft and brainstorm their decisions. Or the way it uses magic realism and supernatural sci-fi to tell a deeply intimate story. It does an excellent job of making small things seem huge and of creating a real, living world that these things happen in. Life is Strange is, in my biased opinion, the most necessary game on this list.

But the most powerful lessons it has to offer are about character and consequence. The entire game is character driven, a mess of people with tangled motivations and relationships, each of them complex and flawed and hurting and a little bit beautiful. It’s a great lesson in giving depth and humanity to even the seemingly background characters.

It’s a greater lesson in the nature and gravity of consequence. Super powered or not, Maxine Caulfield is still just a semi-normal person trying to navigate a semi-normal life. And that’s what gives the game its emotional power. Despite the seemingly magical abilities, we can’t foresee or prevent our actions from having consequence, sometimes to extreme effect. We can’t be heroes, we can only do our best. So it goes with a character in a story: their actions should have consequence. Great consequence, unforeseen consequence, heartbreaking or affirming consequence. Their actions, however small, make ripples in the world.

If you want to know more, play the game.

Writing Prompt

Write a story outline framed entirely as character choices. Try a flow chart! Open with a situation (“Zumi runs down a hallway until she reaches an intersection,” for instance) and then branch through the outline by following the protagonist’s choices. (If she turns left, what happens? If she turns right? When the thing chasing her catches up, what if she fights? What if she runs? Etc.) What happens to the story/outline when protagonist choice is the most important factor?

#author #book #essay #fiction #journal #literature #review #video games #writing

0 notes