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Forum Name: Our Witches at War/Gallian Gothic
Topic ID: 75
#0, Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Gryphon on Sep-05-20 at 04:01 PM
You thought it was finished, I thought it was finished, but Thicker Than Water had other ideas. During the Night of a Thousand Daggers, Gryphon promised to tell Remilia the full story of who he is and where he came from, if she still wanted to know when it was all over. Tonight she's calling in that promise.

...I'm sure it'll be fine.

Act VII: "Nocturne Historique"

--G.
Also, the Meiling & Sakuya Show continues
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


#1, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Peter Eng on Sep-05-20 at 05:00 PM
In response to message #0
"She was standing with a jar of chickpeas in hand, wondering what on Earth had possessed Remilia to put it with the B-positive blood preserves..."

Alphabetical order.

"M-m-m-m'lady!" Sakuya blurted...

Ah, and here comes Sakuya's clue.

"The same happened for me..."

And this is part of why this might work; while Gryph has no problem relating to people who aren't immortal, I suspect there's a similarity of experience that makes it a bit easier when they get this close.

She sees the future sometimes.

Hm. Granted, it was probably not that detailed, but I wonder if Kei saw more than Ben imagines is possible? I suppose we'll find out in good time.

"So I have to trust in your judgment. Trust that you wouldn't get involved with anyone I wouldn't be OK with in the first place."

I'm trying to sort this out, but my best guess is that where Sara's concerned, there's something in his subconscious that is telling him that they won't work out, and Kei would recognize this and not be OK with it - not because Sara's bad for him, but because the breakup would be bad for him.

Alternately, maybe this is just one of the things I shouldn't be investigating too closely.

"You've hit the jackpot here, tiger."

One of the best lines. Well-played.

"Did you say crêpes?"

In my world, that's a word that has power equal to that of "sausage." Clearly, UF-Gryphon agrees with me.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.


#4, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Astynax on Sep-05-20 at 08:52 PM
In response to message #1
LAST EDITED ON Sep-05-20 AT 08:54 PM (EDT)
 
Hit reply on the wrong parent post, so I had to migrate some text, nothing to see here but my abject failure, carry on.

#6, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Gryphon on Sep-06-20 at 02:16 AM
In response to message #1
>"M-m-m-m'lady!" Sakuya blurted...
>
>Ah, and here comes Sakuya's clue.

I enjoyed this whole scene so much. Particularly the way that Sakuya is so flustered at first that it doesn't even register on her how blasé Remilia is. I mean, before Sakuya addressed her, she was just going to leave without comment, even though she knew they'd noticed her. :)

>Alternately, maybe this is just one of the things I shouldn't be
>investigating too closely.

Yeah, I'm afraid that's just an artifact of my having done everything out of order.

>"Did you say crêpes?"
>
>In my world, that's a word that has power equal to that of "sausage."
>Clearly, UF-Gryphon agrees with me.

Indeed.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


#2, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Zemyla on Sep-05-20 at 06:12 PM
In response to message #0
That message from Kei was a real kick in the emotions, and it shows the kind of character she has. She can feel in her bones that this might be the big one, and rather than taking off and letting someone else handle it, she still goes forward to do her duty.

#3, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Vorticity on Sep-05-20 at 08:34 PM
In response to message #0
Any story with moar Kei is awesome. She just adds that je ne sais kaboom to the story.

The thing about Gryphon's life story from that point onward, he decided, was that if he described it out loud, it was so absurd in spots that even he began to doubt whether most of it was true. The HoloDECstation, the Wedge War, the escape into space... had any of that really happened? It must have, he was who he was now, and none of that would have been possible without Starship Wedge and the flight to Zeta Cygni, the mad Prussian with his visions of a space defense force, the man from the 413,000th millennium and his retrovirus... but all the same, at several centuries' remove, it all seemed vaguely... preposterous.

It's hard to read that as coming from inside the fourth wall. Is this a consequence of the universe changes in CORE-4, or is this more about the author forgetting how preposterous the real world is? From where I'm standing, UF is slightly more realistic than a newspaper.


#7, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Gryphon on Sep-06-20 at 02:18 AM
In response to message #3
>It's hard to read that as coming from inside the fourth wall.

Well, it is meant as a bit of a lampshade, but I probably could have toned it down a little. Still, it's sincerely meant. When he looks back on his early career from the perspective of the 25th century, it all does seem extremely improbable. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


#5, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Astynax on Sep-05-20 at 08:54 PM
In response to message #0
I have to commend Remilia for rolling with the data dump of G's life story so well. Granted, toward the end he did produce some corroborating props (though not explicitly for the purpose of confirming his story as more than lunacy,) but a lesser being might well have interjected more often to express disbelief.

Though I do wonder who the third friend she noted to Sakuya might be. I slot G as one and Sakuya as another clearly enough, but number three is a bit less obvious.


-={(Astynax)}=-
"Personally I vote it is Wolfgang, Remilia has clearly shown herself to be a dog person."


#8, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Gryphon on Sep-06-20 at 02:24 AM
In response to message #5
>I have to commend Remilia for rolling with the data dump of G's life
>story so well. Granted, toward the end he did produce some
>corroborating props (though not explicitly for the purpose of
>confirming his story as more than lunacy,) but a lesser being might
>well have interjected more often to express disbelief.

She was admonished for interrupting early on. And then kept doing it, because she's Remilia, but as the narration noted, eventually the WTF pool got too deep to do anything but tread water. :)

>Though I do wonder who the third friend she noted to Sakuya might be.
>I slot G as one and Sakuya as another clearly enough, but number three
>is a bit less obvious.
>
>"Personally I vote it is Wolfgang, Remilia has clearly shown
>herself to be a dog person."

She was thinking of Flan (she likes Meiling, but doesn't know her well enough yet to really consider her a friend), but this answer is also good. After all, it's debatable whether she really knows Flan, as she is now, well enough for her to be a proper friend—but I wouldn't advice suggesting that to her face.

Also, all vampires are dog people. "Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!" :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


#9, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by SpottedKitty on Sep-06-20 at 05:52 PM
In response to message #0
"Still not finale" — so there'll be more? I can hardly wait!

Some fascinating clues here to whatever Sakuya's been up to for so long. One interesting name dropped, too; a pity Gryphon didn't overhear that, it might have given him a bit of advance warning of weirdnesses to come. ;)

--
Unable to save the day: File is read-only.


#10, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Gryphon on Sep-07-20 at 02:44 AM
In response to message #9
>"Still not finale" — so there'll be more? I can hardly wait!

Yes, somehow it seems like more keeps happening. :)

>Some fascinating clues here to whatever Sakuya's been up to for so
>long. One interesting name dropped, too; a pity Gryphon didn't
>overhear that, it might have given him a bit of advance warning of
>weirdnesses to come. ;)

Hm? Oh! No, not that Hattori, this Hattori. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


#11, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by SpottedKitty on Sep-07-20 at 01:07 PM
In response to message #10
>>Some fascinating clues here to whatever Sakuya's been up to for so
>>long. One interesting name dropped, too; a pity Gryphon didn't
>>overhear that, it might have given him a bit of advance warning of
>>weirdnesses to come. ;)
>
>Hm? Oh! No, not that Hattori, this Hattori. :)

<thumbs up> Gotcha. Looking forward to Part VIII of VI (or whatever).

--
Unable to save the day: File is read-only.


#12, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Gryphon on Sep-07-20 at 01:17 PM
In response to message #11
><thumbs up> Gotcha. Looking forward to Part VIII of VI (or whatever).

Yeah, I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that. There is probably a neater way to organize it, particularly now that I really have no idea where it'll end. Possibly by retroactively declaring Acts I-VI (which still kind of make up a story unit, since they collectively "end" with Flandre recovering) the "pilot" and whatever follows the "series", not too unlike New Tricks and OWaW proper. Of course that would require me to make some graphics and build a sub-subseries page, which is faintly ridiculous, but then again, "faintly ridiculous" has been kind of a hallmark of my process on this entire project, if you even want to dignify what I'm doing with the word "process". :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


#13, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Gryphon on Sep-16-20 at 08:32 PM
In response to message #0
Aight, I don't usually come right out and say this kind of thing unprompted, but I'm having a dang day here and I need to puff a little, don't mind me:

I'm not sure I'll ever write a love declaration I like better than Meiling's "I know which fork to use" speech. I love a character who will just SAY stuff like that. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


#14, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by BlackAeronaut on Sep-16-20 at 10:19 PM
In response to message #13
Yeah, that one was pretty damn good. "I may just be a country dragon..." and all.

At which point I was kinda (O_O) "'Country Dragon'? As opposed to what!?"

I realize, of course, that Meiling is probably being metaphorical here. Maybe.


#15, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Gryphon on Sep-16-20 at 10:30 PM
In response to message #14
>Yeah, that one was pretty damn good. "I may just be a country
>dragon..." and all.
>
>At which point I was kinda (O_O) "'Country Dragon'? As opposed to
>what!?"

As opposed to the more cosmopolitan and cultured kind who come from (the mountains near) cities, of course.

>I realize, of course, that Meiling is probably being metaphorical
>here. Maybe.

Her line of a few moments later, "Technically I'm not a woman," argues against this view. Unless she's got some serious chūnibyō tendencies buried under that honest-faced affect. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


#16, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by The Traitor on Sep-17-20 at 03:22 AM
In response to message #15
... I honestly thought that was a reference to Janet from The Good Place.

I think this is the first time I've managed to entirely invent a reference in a UF story. Misconstrue, sure, but see one where there is nothing there? That's a new one on me.

---
"She's old, she's lame, she's barren too, // "She's not worth feed or hay, // "But I'll give her this," - he blew smoke at me - // "She was something in her day." -- Garnet Rogers, Small Victory

FiMFiction.net: we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have standards.

"Not a girl. Also not a robot."


#17, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by Gryphon on Sep-17-20 at 03:30 AM
In response to message #16
LAST EDITED ON Sep-17-20 AT 03:33 AM (EDT)
 
>... I honestly thought that was a reference to Janet from The Good
>Place
.
>
>I think this is the first time I've managed to entirely invent a
>reference in a UF story. Misconstrue, sure, but see one where there is
>nothing there? That's a new one on me.

Just for official confirmation's sake: You have, in fact, done exactly that. You may consider that achievement unlocked! I haven't the slightest idea what you're referring to there. :)

Anyway, no, it's not a reference to anything—Meiling is literally saying that, if you want to get strictly technical about it, she is not an adult human female. (And she said she wasn't human in Act VI, as well, which narrows down which of the three things she is not. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


#18, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by The Traitor on Sep-17-20 at 03:57 AM
In response to message #17
It's a show called The Good Place. I think it's on Netflix US - it's certainly on UK Netflix so bust out the shoulder-mounted parrot if you're interested - but the point is, it's a really funny show about the afterlife, philosophy, and an Arizona trashbag finding a way forward.

Also Janet is amaaaaazing. She is the best. And so is Eleanor. And Chidi. And Tahani. And Jason, when you meet him. It is so. Much. Fun.

---
"She's old, she's lame, she's barren too, // "She's not worth feed or hay, // "But I'll give her this," - he blew smoke at me - // "She was something in her day." -- Garnet Rogers, Small Victory

FiMFiction.net: we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have standards.

"I appear from the direction people aren't looking! It's fun." *grin*


#19, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by BlackAeronaut on Sep-17-20 at 07:56 AM
In response to message #18
>It's a show called The Good Place. I think it's on Netflix US - it's
>certainly on UK Netflix so bust out the shoulder-mounted parrot if
>you're interested - but the point is, it's a really funny show about
>the afterlife, philosophy, and an Arizona trashbag finding a way
>forward.
>
>Also Janet is amaaaaazing. She is the best. And so is Eleanor.
>And Chidi. And Tahani. And Jason, when you meet him. It is so. Much.
>Fun.

Heh.

I know of this. Only seen a few episodes - not really my cuppa.

Basically... You know how tech support for outfits like Verizon can be when they're not outsourced to India or Bangladesh? All nice and professional and proper, but really have no gorram clue what's going on?

Apply that to the Afterlife, and that's The Good Place in a nutshell.


#21, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by dbrandon on Sep-17-20 at 09:48 AM
In response to message #19
I can totally understand what you mean by this, and it is a perfectly reasonable assessment of the show after having watched a few episodes. It is also completely wrong in every possible respect. I heartily encourage you to at least finish the first season.

--dbrandon


#22, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by The Traitor on Sep-17-20 at 04:04 PM
In response to message #21
Y'all done beat me to it. It's very extremely not what BlackAeronaut said, and describing it as such definitely does the show a disservice. Watch the first series, and then watch the whole show, because you'll really want to. I promise. =]

---
"She's old, she's lame, she's barren too, // "She's not worth feed or hay, // "But I'll give her this," - he blew smoke at me - // "She was something in her day." -- Garnet Rogers, Small Victory

FiMFiction.net: we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have standards.

Take it sleazy, y'all.


#23, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by BlackAeronaut on Sep-23-20 at 06:00 PM
In response to message #22
Eh. Even if you folks say so, sitcoms haven't been my thing for a very long time. To wit, I think the only ones I ever REALLY enjoyed seeing were the likes of Mork and Mindy and Bewitched.

(Thing is, though, if given the choice between a sitcom and The Muppet Show, no matter how good of a sitcom it was I'd choose The Muppet Show, hands down, each and every time. The characters were all shades of batshit-insane, from the subtle flying-under-the-radar crazy to the in-your-face madcap insanity, and it was glorious.)

It's probably because sitcoms through the '80s, '90s, and even the '00s, tend to abuse the everloving hell out of my two least favorite tropes: Status Quo is God and The Idiot Ball. Both tropes can be fine if they're used properly. But they are easily mishandled as they can be a huge disservice to the characters in the story.

I understand that this is not the case with The Good Place, but even so, a long slew of vapid sitcoms have done their damage.


#20, RE: Thicker Than Water, Act VII (STILL NOT FINALE)
Posted by BlackAeronaut on Sep-17-20 at 08:02 AM
In response to message #15
>>Yeah, that one was pretty damn good. "I may just be a country
>>dragon..." and all.
>>
>>At which point I was kinda (O_O) "'Country Dragon'? As opposed to
>>what!?"
>
>As opposed to the more cosmopolitan and cultured kind who come from
>(the mountains near) cities, of course.
>
>>I realize, of course, that Meiling is probably being metaphorical
>>here. Maybe.
>
>Her line of a few moments later, "Technically I'm not a woman," argues
>against this view. Unless she's got some serious
>chūnibyō tendencies buried under that honest-faced
>affect. :)

Hee-hee. A Touhou character with Chunibyo. That's only like, what? Half of those nutbars? ;)

But yeah, it threw me for a moment there because I know you like to do interesting things with characters that you feel do not have enough background to properly fit into UF... But then I realized, "Oh, as in she's female, just not a human female..."