"The Show Must Go On" review responses for ch 32
You'd think I'd get more writing done, faster, while stuck at home...
Kuja's pets - "that part when Kuja mentions the cat, Choco and the chicken after getting captured really got me, like I feel so bad for him. When we think about it, pets and livestocks are usually the least of characters' worries and they tend to get forgotten completely in most stories, but to see a former mass killing mastermind getting worried about the fates of their animals is just so touching. It gives Kuja such a character growth."
I got the idea of having Kuja attaching himself to animals for several reasons. One, there's official artwork with him with birds so I wanted to play off that imagery. Two, I liked the idea that even if he couldn't completely feel comfortable around people, that he'd still want companionship which is something animals can provide. Three (and the main reason) is I wanted something that was the opposite of a destructive nature, which is what nurturing and caring for animals signifies.
Beatrix vs. Steiner's views - "I liked that Steiner and Beatrix had no real right to take Kuja and Zidane from the town, that they essentially just marched into a territory that wasn't part of their kingdom and were basically like might makes right. I also like the differences between them with Steiner not really getting that what Alexandria wants doesn't apply outside of the kingdom, where Beatrix gets that they have no right to be there but is going to follow through on it because it's her mission. In a story that's largely about what responsibility Kuja bears for his actions, I like the way his arrest points up that questions about people's actions are rarely as clear cut as they appear. Steiner sees his army as a righteous one, the townspeople see them as invaders."
Steiner is pretty simple minded and straightforward in contrast to Beatrix, who had once blindly followed orders just as she was given them, but then learned that obeying orders wasn't an excuse for doing what she knew was wrong. So that's why she struggles a little more with how to handle the protesting townsfolk while still accomplishing her mission - even though she could've easily taken the two by force.
Garnet & Beatrix - "I especially like how you write Beatrix and garnet. They were NOT my fav characters in the game, lemme tell ya, but you've helped me reconsider haha"
I freely admit Garnet didn't stick out as much of a character to me (at least she wasn't a typical damsel in distress, but she was rather inconsistent- sometimes she was incredibly clever and other times... not so much) but Beatrix I love, and she serves as such a perfect foil to Zidane's slacker goofiness and Steiner's... Steiner-ness. But I couldn't write a post canon story with Kuja and Zidane by pretending Garnet didn't exist, so working around the ending was one hurdle that I had to overcome.
And from chaper 27:
Garnet & Beatrix - "you absolutely did amarant justice!! i didn't expect to find him here, but what a pleasant surprise it was!!"
I like Amarant enough as a character, plus I appreciated that out of all the playable characters, he'd be the most likely to have a more neutral view of Kuja, given that he doesn't join the group to get revenge for a ruined kingdom or because he wants to save the world even.
* * *
New chapter:
- ffnet: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8057142/34/The-Show-Must-Go-On
- AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17712662/chapters/56941615
Kuja's pets - "that part when Kuja mentions the cat, Choco and the chicken after getting captured really got me, like I feel so bad for him. When we think about it, pets and livestocks are usually the least of characters' worries and they tend to get forgotten completely in most stories, but to see a former mass killing mastermind getting worried about the fates of their animals is just so touching. It gives Kuja such a character growth."
I got the idea of having Kuja attaching himself to animals for several reasons. One, there's official artwork with him with birds so I wanted to play off that imagery. Two, I liked the idea that even if he couldn't completely feel comfortable around people, that he'd still want companionship which is something animals can provide. Three (and the main reason) is I wanted something that was the opposite of a destructive nature, which is what nurturing and caring for animals signifies.
Beatrix vs. Steiner's views - "I liked that Steiner and Beatrix had no real right to take Kuja and Zidane from the town, that they essentially just marched into a territory that wasn't part of their kingdom and were basically like might makes right. I also like the differences between them with Steiner not really getting that what Alexandria wants doesn't apply outside of the kingdom, where Beatrix gets that they have no right to be there but is going to follow through on it because it's her mission. In a story that's largely about what responsibility Kuja bears for his actions, I like the way his arrest points up that questions about people's actions are rarely as clear cut as they appear. Steiner sees his army as a righteous one, the townspeople see them as invaders."
Steiner is pretty simple minded and straightforward in contrast to Beatrix, who had once blindly followed orders just as she was given them, but then learned that obeying orders wasn't an excuse for doing what she knew was wrong. So that's why she struggles a little more with how to handle the protesting townsfolk while still accomplishing her mission - even though she could've easily taken the two by force.
Garnet & Beatrix - "I especially like how you write Beatrix and garnet. They were NOT my fav characters in the game, lemme tell ya, but you've helped me reconsider haha"
I freely admit Garnet didn't stick out as much of a character to me (at least she wasn't a typical damsel in distress, but she was rather inconsistent- sometimes she was incredibly clever and other times... not so much) but Beatrix I love, and she serves as such a perfect foil to Zidane's slacker goofiness and Steiner's... Steiner-ness. But I couldn't write a post canon story with Kuja and Zidane by pretending Garnet didn't exist, so working around the ending was one hurdle that I had to overcome.
And from chaper 27:
Garnet & Beatrix - "you absolutely did amarant justice!! i didn't expect to find him here, but what a pleasant surprise it was!!"
I like Amarant enough as a character, plus I appreciated that out of all the playable characters, he'd be the most likely to have a more neutral view of Kuja, given that he doesn't join the group to get revenge for a ruined kingdom or because he wants to save the world even.
* * *
New chapter:
- ffnet: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8057142/34/The-Show-Must-Go-On
- AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17712662/chapters/56941615