Page 1504…
Happy Monday!
So, I need to tell you… I had to fly to Los Angeles for a meeting (fingers crossed).
I will be back late tonight. So if Tuesday’s page isn’t up in the morning…I’ll have it up there later.
Thanks for reading along.
Only a few more pages left…
Scott
It’s the Hallelujah Mountains! 😀
Wait… how did Alex know what he should do? I guess I missed something…
And how are the others going to find them before they reach Seraphol
* Seraphopolis? (Gaah, pressed “post” too soon…!)
Part of me is hoping this will be the end of the story, and it will simply float off into space and everyone will suffocate. It wouldn’t fit, and it’s not April first, but with nothing to keep it down… (Well, it could be a balloon rock with a density lower than air at sea level, and it would stop rising when it got to thinner, less-dense air. Or it could be dreamland, where things don’t need to make sense and engineering students don’t wake up in the middle of the night because the physics in the dream was just wrong, damnit!)
Also, that is a very strong sword.
I’m sorry Scott, but I’m done. You jumped a bay full of sharks with Nivsomethingorother the mermaid from hell. I’m done, I just can’t wrap my brain around just how bad the writing was in this chapter. I’m stuttering as I write this. I just can’t. This story was so good, and now its so bad. You entertained me throughout the economy crash and unemployment, then through college, and now graduation.
Niv came in, told us a bunch of useless information, stalled the plot, then threatened Alex’s place in the plot and purpose for existing, and finally your own explanation saying that you intended this all along and that she’s right and you stand by her nonsensical point of view. Then she leaves, and I’m left with a hole in my heart where this story once stood. This chapter was so bad, I’m not going to read anymore. Ever.
I guess its fitting that now that I’ve finally succeeded in something that I must now remove the bookmark to your story. I refuse to tolerate bad writing.
If only good things ever happened or got said, there would never be any good stories.
I’m seeing this to the end. This has been way too good to lose faith in the author now.
SEMC – that were rush words.
We know now what the Author think is “the right thing to do”(tm) today. It still does not mean that the actors will actually do it, nor that the author will not change his mind.
Niviene is actually quite a good character, being “good” but (due to her hard life) not “nice”. The reader has a tendancy to equate “not nice” with “bad”, so expects something bad. It must however not happen, and having such characters actually make the story more realistic.
If I had 1 point to complain on this chapter, it is the fact that apprently it is “common” (i.e. happened at least twice, and in both King’s stories we heared in detail up to now) that a Dreamland king thinks he can bring peace to the Wakeworld by showing dreamland to humans. While we can discuss the wisdom of it, obviously at least Arthur (coming second) should have known about the makings of Ramses II (Nick was involved in both cases), so should have better understood that it would not work. If he chose to ignore the historical precedent, than Nick has that much more justification to “remove” Arthur – Arthur was just becoming dangerous and had to be removed for the sake of Dreamland.
Let’s see what follows – look forward to the steam/Magic mix (at the core of another of my favorite comic: Girl Genius)
Yay Girl Genius =)
I love that saying…
You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
Thanks for your input mate, but every story needs challenges. Alex has risen to the challenges posed by Nic, and mow there’s less “hit it with a sword” challenges being posed to Alex by Niviene… I wonder how he’ll rise to them and grow as a person as a result?
Cheers!
With props to Mary Poppins:
“Let’s go fly a rock, up to the highest heights”
Good luck in LA!
Hold on ladies. We’re going on a ride.
It seems they’re going nowhere but up (heh! heh!)
Also Niviene should convince Daniel to have Alex give up the Sword of the Kings and say that he’s “No longer welcome in Dreamland.”
Hmmm… I am left wondering about this.
Was there a sixth rock Nastajia’s parents took?
Thanks for reading.
And congratulations on finishing school.
Wishing you all the best
Drama Drama
and still, Alex hasn’t uttered a word. Holy gosh.
I see one possible solutions. What about that bracelet-Thing Arthur ‘s had in mind. Crossing over to dreamland with no sword, iirc. Complete that and Alex can meet his sweetie. But mebbe I’m the one jumping a pool of piranhas here. ^^
@Scott: Your point is ok, but for one thing: Being older/elder doesna permit the implication that one is wiser. Older fellers more often than else are stubborn, selfish and unable to adopt to other POV’s. They mistake that having experienced stuff this way or that is by no means an indication for something to be a right or good way to do. They mistake their (maybe qualified) opinion for fact. And in no way they are entitled to being gruffy or blunt or hateful towards others.
Just my two cent.
Oh and by the way: Other than that, it’s quite ok to give good old alex a challenge. I do not see how this is bad storytelling. It would be lame wishy washy if the story went on with nothing else after Nic’s demise. After all, this is supposed to be a story of coming of age (is that the correct wording for growing up?). There ain no growth in character with no set-back or challenge.
I for one gonna stick by Scotty and see where he gonna beam us. ^^
Yes, best of luck in LA!! 😀
And, yep, you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time. One thing we all need to remember is we’re reading this page by page as it’s posted, which is very different from sitting down and reading the entire project all the way through. It’s kind of like being unable to see the forest for the trees kind of deal.
Also, if you think about it, they are looking for Nastajia’s parents and were pointed in the direction of Niviene to find them, so this was logical. Also Niviene isn’t a cardboard cut-out pointing the direction to her parents. She’s got a whole back story & history herself, so of course she’s going to try to push her agenda. It doesn’t mean the story is now going to follow that agenda. I, for one, think she’s going to be in for a rude awakening when Daniel tells her there’s now some 2 billion people in Wakeland & there’s no way he’s ruling all of them. 😉
Agreed. I love the “the story isn’t going where I think it should so I now declare the writing to SUCK!” mentality shown by so many here…
I’m not sure what spur’s that attitude among people but I think it’s the author’s prerogative to write how he/she wants and us to choose to follow along if we like. Just because the story doesn’t flow as *we* the individual readers may want it to go doesn’t mean it isn’t well done.
I think there are larger gaps’ between pages now where every single, little item isn’t spelled out and explained, so perhaps that leads some (who can’t connect the dots) to feel frustrated, no idea… I do think that too many Americans are used to “happy endings” in stories, and don’t necessarily like when things aren’t wrapped up in a neat bow.
Oh, and I’m in the US but have seen stories where a beloved, MAJOR character dies, and while gut-wrenching and sad enough to make me put down a story for awhile, if the rest of the characters are well done, I eventually come back. I like Alex and like the growth he’s experienced, but am patient enough to see where things go before proclaiming that the story sucks.
By the way, I’m not sure if people really know what “jumping the shark” means in it’s original form. Much like when people take any little instance and proclaim deus ex machina, the story has to pretty much do a 180 and make zero sense or have any connectivity to what’s going on, before it’s really “jumped the shark”. I saw the original Happy Days episode where the shark jumping occurred, and it was much, much more blatant than anything that occurred here.
I have seen this occur when an author tries to go too fast, with too few details to lead the reader along but don’t feel that has happened here yet.
Two billion people in wakeland? Don’t you mean 6+ billion people? There are more than 2 billion just in India and China together…
FINALLY! No more crab queen. I hope I figure out what her sanctimonious drivel added to the storyline, other than to make people begin to think that Alex is a selfish, self-centered brat that only thinks of himself an doesn’t belong in Dreamland.
That is a pretty solid part of what she is there to do. Remember she is old guard, and to her there is a Right Way to do things, and that is for the eldest to ascend the throne. That is the way it is done. Only if Daniel forswears the Throne can Alex remain.
All I say is good riddance and I hope I forget her very soon. I would love for tomorrow’s strip to have Alex and Nastajia look at each other and laugh about what an out-of-touch freaking moron the crab lady was and hope she ends up in a can of tuna.
But he is. That’s exactly what he is. Or, I should say, was. As others have stated, this is sort of a coming of age. Honestly, I don’t like the conflict that may cause, and it worries me that the story might not go as I like, but… it’s not my story.
Alex has some thinking to do. Is he really holding his brother back? Can he fix that? Should he? If he does, what happens to his relationship? Will he be able to return if he enables Daniel to enter Dreamland?
This is ultimately a test of character for him. It I’m lucky, he’ll make the ‘right choice’ (whatever that is) and it won’t cost him as much as he things.
Ack! I really need to proofread my comments. 🙁 Too bad there’s not an ‘edit’ feature.
You know, I hadn’t thought about that point about Nicodemus, but it’s a good one, and it makes him a slightly more sympathetic character — except that he chose to go to the wraiths when looking for allies. Hmmm…
As always, I’m still in love with the comic. But more importantly, good luck with your meeting.
“I don’t like what’s happening” and “bad writing” are not the same thing. It sounds like you’re claiming that they are, and that simply sounds petulant, but in the end, that’s your loss, as a reader of many things, not just Dreamland. I appreciate that Scott continues to put obstacles in the main characters’ way, because that is more realistic. This episode with Niviene is also the first time that Alex’s legitimacy has been truly called into question.
On the other hand, I do have some critiques, which I have expressed in the past: namely that Niviene claims her moral authority solely from her age and her loss of the man she loves. How many people lose their loved ones to death? Every single one who isn’t the first to die. To me, this is insufficient sacrifice to be the basis of authority. Not only is that loss not at all unique, but until this point, there is no evidence that she has taken any action in the passing centuries to support or reinstate the efforts of Merlin and Arthur. That harms her credibility and authority quite a bit. Secondly, I don’t buy into primogeniture as a basis for fitness to rule, and I imagine that many people in the modern world feel similarly; additionally, for the reasons stated above, I find Niviene to be an unconvincing advocate for it.
Finally, one critique which I haven’t mentioned during the past controversy over Niviene — and one critique which I may agree with you on — concerns the pacing of the story she relates from the obelisk. Reading the entire story from the obelisk for ten pages, rather than including some flashbacks similar to the Arthurian scenes, does slow the pace down a bit and make it less emotionally present. It’s an interesting concept, but it does have some unintended (I think) consequences on how it reads as a story.
Also, I meant to say that I believe that the appropriate way to respond to writing that you think is failing to meet the author’s general standards is to offer thoughtful, constructive critique, rather than in the way you have expressed it.
The drama continues in TWC as well. As of this writing, we’re once again #3 with 9,085 votes against #4’s 9,083.
Remember to vote!
I, for one, am sticking by Scott’s side. We don’t know if Alex will go ahead with what Niviene wants him to do. We don’t know if Niviene is saying all this stuff because it really is the best thing for Dreamland or if she has other motives, good or bad. I admit if Alex does give Daniel the sword I will be extremely pissed, but I won’t abandon the story over it. I’ve been reading this comic for over 4 years now and I am far too invested to quit.
The problem here is that the main character and hero of the strip has now been portrayed as a fraud, unworthy, someone who shouldn’t be there and never should have been. It totally detracts from the story. Once you start relating to characters and then the rug gets pulled out from underneath them, it’s a HUGE disappointment.
Why the heck would we think that of Alex? We know him way better than Niviene. Alex is a good-hearted kid who wants to do the right thing…he’s just not sure what that is yet.
I hadn’t had my coffee yet, so I wasn’t quite awake when typing. 😉
No way, girl! Alex is the hero! And he remains that in my mind. But now he is faced with a choice that will move him from being a child to being a man. From being only a warrior to potentially truly being a king. “No greater love has anyone than this: that they lay down their life for a friend.”
I say this as a fan of Dan…you know that! 😉 As much as we may dislke her, Niviene has revealed a truth that will either break Alex or make him great. Dan is the rightful ruler of Dreamland. Alex’s beloved brother. Giving him that birthright will mean Alex has to forsake his true love. Adventure comes with a price. But he is free to choose.
What will Alex do?
I’m surprised that people are hating this story just because it doesn’t seem to be going the way they wanted it to go. Ever heard of dramatic tension?? Every story has it. Even the earlier parts of this story. It’s what drives the story along. If there were no conflict after Nicodemus was defeated, then the story would have just ended right there. Conflict is what drives the plot forward. And Niviene was perhaps an unexpected source of conflict. We were led to think she was a “good guy” — and perhaps she is, in her own way, but she did add an extra element of conflict to the plot. And that’s good, because now it’s no longer so clear what’s going to happen when they finally get to Seraphopolis. If she didn’t say what she did about Alex, the plot would be too predictable (they find Staj’s parents and live happily ever after, the end) — IOW, boring.
The proof that Scott is a good writer will be revealed in how he handles this unexpected plot twist in the end. Will Alex be able to continue coming to dreamland? Now the very basis of his relationship with Nastajia is threatened: how will he handle it? How does Daniel’s role play into all this — seeing that he was barred from dreamland from the beginning? Plus, we _don’t_ know if Alex will be barred from Dreamland forever. What if things play out in a completely different way than what Niviene leads us to believe? You don’t know until the plot unfolds itself.
There is a lot more depth in the plot here than is apparent, and that’s what makes this story so good. If all there is, is just another rehash of “kill the dragon, rescue the princess, lives happily ever after”, then why bother to write a new story at all? There are already enough such stories to keep you entertained for a long time. Just visit your local library. What makes this one so interesting is the level of depth hidden underneath what is apparently a old-fashioned “lives happily ever after” story. I’d hate for Scott to just follow the old tropes without adding anything new to it.
Well, the Ramses story seemed to be working out until the nightmare realm decided to do their own thing. Maybe Arthur thought this time they can let the humans in w/out letting the nightmare realm out?
Ever slowly pulling away… #3 at 9131 votes, for #4’s 9099 votes…
Inasmuch as I spent quite some time yesterday, writing a post to attempt deconstructing Scott’s argument, I now feel the need to defend him from your harsh words which border, to me, on contempt… So I will point out that you still need to take note of two things:
One, Scott attempted to clarify Niviene’s point of view – why she thought and felt as she did – and reinforced it with an analogy of what he’d do as a father if a (somewhat) similar situation occurred with his kids. (I happen to think that the analogy is incorrect, but that is neither here nor there…) Still, he was pointing out why he thought that was the right thing to do, from Niviene’s point of view, with which he concurred, under some specific circumstances.
Two, he never said that this is what is going to happen (nor did he say that it would not). He is using Niviene to introduce a dramatic viewpoint which, until they had met her, had not truly been considered as a viable option by either Alex, Dan, or Nastajia. This was meant to keep some dramatic tension going, now that the main tension of fighting Nicodemus is gone (for now- we still have not seen the body). The fact that we don’t know whether they will go that route or not, whether Alex and Nastajia’s love is doomed or not, or whether Dan will ever make it to Dreamland or not, is designed to keep us on the edge of our seats. And Scott has proven twisty enough in the past that we won’t know, until it happens, just how this will all turn out.
In my book, that’s some pretty good writing…
And as was mentioned by another Dreamer, having a backstory for Niviene was necessary, so as to avoid making her into a cardboard cutout that merely points the way to Seraphopolis…
Your lack of verbal retaliation is commendable.
You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.
And, now at 9,175 votes and still at #3! But, we have to keep voting. Thanks, Desmond, for helping us all remember to vote! 🙂
Their tails become legs again between panels 3 and 4… Nice touch.
I agree that this conflict of interest and emotions is important for the story and helps to build Alex’s character as he must work it out without brute strength. Alex and Dan have had this discussion before, when Alex admitted he wasn’t “King material,” and Dan has refused to take the offered sword once before, in part due to his own fear of the unknown, and because he felt Alex’s actions required him to maintain the mantle of kingship. Will Alex keep the sword only until he fulfills his promise to Nastajia, and then give his authority to Daniel, or will his development of character lead him to take on all the challenges of the throne of Dreamland with Daniel’s blessing?
Couldn’t have said it better.
As for any argument on whether the throne really does belong to Dan… different world, different rules. Dreamland is a magical realm, and magic works very differently than science. If you’re dealing with magic, prophecies can actually happen, there are such things as chosen or blessed ones, and such blessings don’t necessarily follow social conventions or even biological rules.
For a magical creature, if it has been understood for generations that the throne belonged to the first born by divine right, that’s all there is to it. In our non magic world, the argument is senseless; we’ll talk merit, we’ll talk about who’s proven their worth, we’ll even talk about the implications for twins. But that’s us, living in a world where there is no logical reason to believe the first born should be King. Just like there’s no logical reason to believe a boy born at the end of July will one day defeat the big bad, and to believe so even before anything makes that boy special at all.
But for Niviene, it’s SO much simpler. The magical rule is that the King’s line is carried through the first borns. The first born is the one with the destiny to rule, the first born is the rightful leader. It’s not a matter of merit, it’s a matter of magical right. And that’s the end of it.
Which doesn’t mean she’s right. But man, it’s certainly a blow to Alex and Nastajia, isn’t it? That’s not poor writing at all!
As much as I want to yell at her.
A “bay full of sharks”? Gee, I thought it was legitimate development of existing tensions, not the introduction of fake elements for purely pseudo-dramatic purposes:
Alex vs. Dan has been there from the start, especially once we realized that Alex got in instead of Dan through a loophole. Well, the other shoe has dropped, and Alex must realize that Dan does have a valid claim. As it is, he got several extra years of visiting Dreamland (though he wasted several by losing track of the Sword-amulet) since most people no longer visit Dreamland as they become older children or teens.
It ties the current story closer to past developments: the reign of King Arthur and the character of Merlin, as well as ancient history (Ramses II, via Nicodemus), and opens up more moral ambiguity for Nicodemus, more historical trajectories that need resolution. Again, these have been many chapters in building.
It gives Alex a further opportunity to show growing maturity and wisdom, offers Dan a chance, as well as other characters, such as Nastajia. Will they do the right thing? Will it somehow lead to a better ending than any of them could have hoped for if they do?
No, I don’t see this as jumping the shark. Merely moving on to the next development in the dramatic tension.
I’m not a big fan of this Mermaid character ether, but maybe that is the point. Lots of Stories have characters that are meant not to be liked. Also, while she may not hold much credability to her authority by todays standards, if we remember that she has been a recluse for 1000s of years, we begin to understand her mindset. If a king from 500 years ago suddenly appeared today, they wouldn’t have much understanding of the way things are, they would stick by how things were in their day to the bitter end. Neivine is stuck in time period, mentaly, where kings were ordained by God and therefore by default the best person for the job whether they were actually fit to rule or not. Also, she is emotionally scarred by loosing Merlin, and as we’ve seen in lots of other storys, Characters who are emotionally scarred tend to come off as cold and and unrelenting personalities. Personally, I’m still hoping for a happy ending and I think the back story pages we just went through may have provided a ray of hope because now we know the technology to send people to Dreamland permenatly or otherwise by methods other than the sword do exist. So even if Alex gives up the throne, which I believe he would like to if it meant he could still see Nat, he may still have a way to end up in Dreamland.
One small problem with your theory is that not every king of Dreamland was a first born. At least, Solomon most definitely wasn’t.
OK, well, I’m not going to get into the whole argument about whether this is “good” writing or not. We can all state precedents all night, and it wouldn’t make a lick of difference. What matters is whether we, as an audience like the story or not, and I’m going to assume that the majority of us DO, or we wouldn’t keep reading, let alone invest our time in commenting. That said, while I can’t embrace SEMC’s philosophy that an unwanted direction in the story line equates to bad writing, I can agree that I am not a big fan of the latest developments. I would also never presume to tell an author that what they are doing with THEIR story is “wrong”, only that I haven’t enjoyed it as much of late. Still, up until recently, I’ve been a huge fan (and have even introduced friends to the fold), and my enjoyment of the overall product has earned it more than enough credit to wait out the current story line and see where it is going. Hopefully the payoff will be worth it (and I still suspect it will). It takes more than one “bad” episode for me to give up on a favorite TV or movie franchise, and the same holds for a great story like this one.
While I find myself more or less agreeing with SEMC’s sentiments, if not the way they said what they said, it’s for entirely different reasons.
Honestly I’ve seen the Alex vs Dan scenario coming for a while. It just made sense that it would come up at some point. Where I think the snag in this story right now is the fact that as forgettable Mermaid chick is sitting there lecturing Alex and Nat, the others just stay silent. Is forgettable mermaid chick just that powerful, that everyone would fear disagreeing with her? Yes, she had a past, there was some tragedy involved, that does not make her right in any scenario, least of all this one.
That is my biggest problem. You would think that during Niviene’s little hissy fit that either Felicity or Nat, or hell maybe even Alex himself would say something. Instead they all act like children who were caught misbehaving, and slink off to their room.
I’m not sure if this was the intention, but what I’ve gotten from Niviene’s little tirade here is that she’s projecting her hurt at losing Merlin on anyone else she comes across. “Sure Nat, Alex has been here every step of the way trying to free Dreamland from Nic’s terror, but now that we don’t need him he can just go on his merry way! What? You don’t agree? Well you stupid little girl, you obviously don’t know pain like I do, after all I had to watch Merlin blah blah blah”
Now despite how I feel about Niviene, or her crappy attitude, I will not be dropping this comic from my read list. Honestly, I’m still excited to see what happens next, and whether or not Nic is still out there plotting something nefarious.
So Scott, thanks for the story so far, and I’ll be looking forward to the next chapter!
Just wanted to pop in and say, LOVE your Peaceful response to little Miss Flounce’NBounce.
OH, WHOOPS, It was a GUY… “MISTER Flounce’NBounce”…
So I wonder what kind of elevator music those floating stones use?
Just noticing…I haven’t seen anything in the comic that says it’s because Dan is older that he should be king. It’s obviously not tied by blood. So there’s no reason to assume that Dan is king due to being older. He’s supposed to be king because he was supposed to be king! I don’t think birth order had anything to do with it.
Oh, lordy…I totally misread what you were talking about. Sorry! You were talking about Niviene being wise due to her age. Nevahmind.
Correct. Birth order and bloodlines appear to have no relevance to who is chosen as king or queen of Dreamland. I think it is simply who has the best qualities to become a good ruler.
HA!! I love this! Now I can’t look at the panels without hearing some. 🙂
I made a similar point last week in relation to Nic… bear in mind that, though Nicodemus had witnessed it go wrong before, there’s no assurance that he told anyone of it nor that the Sword of Kings told Arthur of Ramses’ successes and failures. He may have been too trusting of Arthur and thus failed to monitor him.
Nic said, quite bluntly, that to pursue bridging the worlds was foolhardy and to forget it… and he left it at that, I suppose trusting that Arthur would listen to him as his adviser but more so as a native to Dreamland.
Arthur took it on himself to find a way… and realistically – unlike the mass portal thing that Ramses did – the single person bracelet-style thing would not have allowed a huge number of people through and MAY have provided a slightly safer way for people to see Dreamland without the Dreamlanders needing to fear a repeat of earlier mistakes.
Jeez Scott,
Some of your readers are nailing you with rude and downright unhelpful comments. As a writer myself; (I’ve only been published in my college newspaper/newletters, poetry collections, short story magazines and websites but none the less) if you are going to say something “sucks” you should have a decent aurgument to back it up.
I admit that since Ninvene came into the picture I was a little put off by her character but I’m certain Scott has a plan, plot twist, or idea that he is putting together by using her in the process. I mean Nic was a good guy/dragon orginally too but went bad in more ways then one. Maybe its the same with Ninvene…who knows. Its not our job to judge Scott for his ideas or story. We are meant to enjoy it, maybe provide useful insite or critiques here and there. Help catch minor or sometimes major editing blunders but all in all this is Scott’s world we have been invited in so give the guy a break. Or as my parents always told me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say…don’t say anything at all”. As much as I am unsure and a little confused by most of what happened in this last chapter I know there is a rhyme and a reason for it. But I do hope that in the end there is a way for Nastajia and Alex to still be together but I also know that Daniel deserves to be the King of Dreamland so I am curious to see how you are going to move things forward in the next couple of chapters. Love Ya Scott!
Sincerely Your Avid Reader,
Sudsy aka Laura
Might have misread that. But then why is Niviene so convinced Dan is the rightful King? She doesn’t actually know him, and it’s not like Alex has done anything horribly wrong to make her think he’s completely inadequate. Or are you just saying her opinion does not reflect the ‘Dreamland’ way and is only her own?
She’s not very forgettable if everyone hates her…just sayin’. 🙂
Every site has it’s troll…if this one leaves, then it’s no great loss.
Sorry you didn’t see what the rest of us have seen in this story, SEMC…and you really should work on your tact and temper. Just my opinion.
Light rock? Sorry, bad pun.
I have no problems with the way the story is going. Indeed, who should rule in Dreamland, Alex or Daniel, is a valid question. The problem I have is with the way the question was raised. Niviene was dictatorial, self-righteous, and, as noted, sanctimonious in telling Alex, in essence, “What you have accomplished, regardless of cost to yourself, in freeing Dreamland from a tyrant and setting things aright, is meaningless. You are Secondborn, you must let the Firstborn take over, leave Dreamland, and never come back.” For someone over 1000 years old she has TERRIBLE people skills! That sort of speech could have – maybe should have – gotten her a punch in the nose, not obedience! Especially since she apparently spent the last 1000 years sitting on her tail and not doing anything at all to try to stop Nic’s reign of terror, herself.. Her actions may well cause Alex guilt and internal division at a time when strength of purpose and determination will be needed to save Nastajia’s parents. There are bad counselors, and then there are disastrous counselors; Niviene appears to be the latter.
Ah! Touche’! Perhaps I just want to forget about her 🙂
I’ve been a silent reader till now; just enjoying the story. I don’t even always read all the comments, then I noticed the inordinate length of them lately and began to read them. I just have one thing to say, “Way to go Scott!”
Many writers go their whole life trying to write a story like this, something that has readers really engaged, to the point of getting quite emotional about it. But, you have achieved that, so congratulations!
Right, but that is a reflection of Niviene’s character, not of the story itself. What I don’t understand is why some people seem to be taking that as equivalent to bad writing. I just don’t see the connection there.
We’re saying we don’t know. Who, or what, or how appoints the new king of Dreamland has never been revealed so far. Probably there are some rules. Probably Niviene knows them. Probably they say that it’s got to be Dan. But we the readers have absolutely no idea.
Gotcha. I’ll rephrase my reasoning, then…
I think Niviene is quite convinced that Dan is the King by right, due to some rule or predetermination, the details of which we are not privy to at the moment.
I still say that she’s going by whatever that is, not by personal judgement of relative merit, and I still feel the same way about the plot point. It’s no good arguing whether we agree with her… fact is, she agrees with herself, so she acts and talks accordingly.
Interesting to note, Niviene and Nicodemus are the only ones, IIRC, who have used the phrase ‘true king’ in reference to Dan, text in bold in each instance, I think. I would be interested in hearing Orion’s or Arvamas’s view on this concept of the ‘true king’ and how it relates to who the sword selects as king.
Haha… same here. This is so funny. I keep hearing this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tAcIGhh5Yo
Hi everyone!
I am back from my trip to Los Angeles (a bit later than I had hoped) and JUST finished reading everyone’s comments.
Thank you so very much.
As I’m sure you’ve heard me say MANY times over…I do not consider myself a writer.
I am working hard at being the best writer I can be.
But…
I grew up an artist. I went to art school. I learned color, composition, figure drawing, etc.
Not writing. And CERTAINLY not grammar (as you all know so well)
Heck. If it wasn’t for spell checking…I doubt my story would even be legible.
🙂
That being said…I WELCOME thoughts, notes, advice, and yes… even angry rants.
It keeps me on track. Let’s me know how I’m doing.
What is working…and what isn’t.
So, thank you.
I will endeavor to write better characters for you all.
I thought Niviene was well loved universally by you all during the flashback.
I understand your thoughts on her now. And I shall make a decision on whether to rectify it… or allow her to be a character that may rub readers the wrong way.
I’m writing Chapter 18…and there will be more of Niviene to come. So hopefully I make the right choice.
Thank you again. And sorry for no update today.
I am working hard at getting Wednesday’s page done.
Scott
Nope. I think they took the third rock. From the sun.
[sorry, I did try to resist. I really did. For 24 hours.]
Not a fraud: he didn’t ask to be the heir’s brother when the true heir was blocked. He didn’t angle for the loophole that let him in as it kept his brother out. In fact, he has done some critical things. But now the time has come to see if he is willing to step aside to let even more important things happen as they should.
Or, perhaps, to work out some other way for those things to happen. After all, Niviene is not omniscient. Just because she thinks this way does not mean it will happen her way.
I’d agree: we don’t know the rules.
On the other hand, we do know that Dan is the rightful king, but that, while Arthur was not yet dead, he could not enter Dreamland. By a loophole, his brother Alex could–and was an acceptable replacement, if not the true heir. So all that must be reflected in the rule, which we don’t know fully.
Why should he step aside? …because some overgrown pogie tells him to? It was Alex that originally pulled the sword from the stone. The sword necklace belongs to him and there is no reason to relinquish it. It is HIS right to be in Dreamland.
no. Don’t you go and rectify anything. Let Niviene be – she’s too good a character for rubbing readers the wrong way. If they can’t take THAT bite, they aren’t strong enough. *gg*
She poses a contraposition to sticky “oh Nastajia, I luuuuv you sooo much” “But sweet Alex, come let me smoooooch you” talk. Kinda balances that stuff out. *chuckle*
besides, no problem with updates. No stress needed. ^^
I agree. Not all characters can be loved. Some of the best characters create strong emotions, positive or negative, and if those emotions are diverse among the audience (or your fan base respectively), those characters are all the more interesting. Not all characters have to be liked. It’s been a while that I’ve come across a character that is morally good, but not likeable. Since it’s not very common I do understand that some people have trouble with that, but personally I treasure it as something well done and find it a sobering and refreshing addition to the story.
My only critique about your writing is, that you try and explain a lot of the plot points through vast bouts of exposition. Sometimes they stretch on a bit too long and I keep wondering if there isn’t a better way to tell this somehow… but that is basically the only problem I have with this chapter and it seems to be a minor one compared to what other people are ranting about. 🙂
*sits alone in the Niviene cheering section and waves a pompom* Yay! 😀
I consider myself a writer, and I haven’t ever thought your story should be accused of bad writing…maybe an occasional lack of clarity on some points (intentional or otherwise), but never bad writing. 🙂 You keep on doing what you’re doing. Obviously you have a fan base no matter what.
Didn’t the sword of the king proclaim Alex as King of Dreamland?
Yes, but for some reason, everyone thinks that some fish that abandoned Dreamland 1000 years ago and has been living under a rock should dictate who the king should be. Go figure.
Wow, that was a quick cross-country trip!
Welcome back!
Not only that, but unless you were to rewrite all of Niviene’s parts in chapter 17, it would make no sense to suddenly have her change attitude in chapter 18.
She has a job to do, storywise, and she will most likely try to do it as well as she can, whether people (within the story and within your readership) agree with her or not. It is conceivable that she could be persuaded to get off her high (sea) horse, at some point, but she should not change just because many of your readers are asking for it.
For the record, I personally do disagree with her position and her attitude, but would still not want her to change simply to appease the readership. Everything about her is part and parcel of this story, and the clash of opinions between her and Alex/Nastajia does offer some interesting drama. It will be interesting to see how they react to her strongly worded opinion, just as it will be interesting to see what Dan does about a possibility which he had never even considered before.
Whatever choice you make, I hope you make it because you feel it is best. No one else.
Sure, take in the praise and criticism, and evaluate it. But ultimately, this is your story, not ours. You must choose where it goes, you must choose what you think works best. Yours is the only opinion that counts in the end, even if your opinion is partially shaped and influenced by other voices, over time. It must still sit well with you. You must be able to look at the finished product and be satisfied for a job well done, without feeling like you had to compromise along the way.
By the way, I’m curious as to when exactly your boys found out they were named after fictional characters in a webcomic, and how they felt about it… 😛
Hon, I’m just going with what the author has said in previous comments: Dan is the rightful king of Dreamland. Alex now knows that loud and clear and so does Nastasia. What they choose to do with that information will show us what they believe in their hearts to be true. No one has the power to take the realm away from Alex, except Alex. So it is ultimately up to him. I’m very curious to see what he does!
(SNERK!) BWAHAHAHAAA!! That puts everything into perspective QUITE nicely! Thank you! 🙂 😀
Scott… every good story needs a couple characters to hate. Niviene is just going to be one of those characters. I didn’t like Nick, but I’m understanding him more and more the more we learn about him…especially these last bits about the floating city…and dare I say it, even starting to like him a little. The problem I think most are having with Niviene is she is against Alex being here. A simple explanation from the sword or something similar would calm her down, and it might happen, it might not. It doesn’t matter. Not every character has to be liked…it makes it an even better story.
Yes. And therefore, this loophole must be a part of the rules, as well.
Being a Siberian, I love loopholes. They’re the key to survival in these parts ruled by the blind and irrational powers of nature and government. 😉
well-spoken. I was thinking about the same to say.
The only thing i cant get my head around is why the switch of thinking, before and after Alex did week-up. That’s the only part i dont get at all.
No problem “Hon”. Dan can be king all he wants. However, Alex is the one that originally pulled the sword from the stone in Dreamland and did it with no outside help or magic or trickery. THAT sword is rightfully his and isn’t negotiable. The crab queen should spend less time spewing irrelevant drivel and more time trying to use the powers, that she came to posess by being a curiosity to Merlin, to get Dan into dreamland.
Good day, Scott!
I, for one, am still your avid reader and enjoy your work and imagination. I also spent many years (and four years in college, heh) reading, studying literature, and sometimes even writing a little. While I’m certainly not a literary expert, I’d like to share a thought on Niviene with you, which you are of course free to consider or discard as you see fit. ‘Tis your work, not mine! 🙂
> “I understand your thoughts on her now. And I shall make a decision on whether to rectify it… or allow her to be a character that may rub readers the wrong way.”
This is what I wish to speak to — don’t go back and change anything. Let what you’ve written stand. Niviene must act as she thinks best according to her experiences and sacrifice. She must be who she is, even if we, the readers, disagree with her point of view. We don’t know everything about what she’s done or felt over the last several centuries, beyond grieving for having lost Merlin. That, understandably, would make anyone bitter to one degree or another.
I do not agree with Niviene’s assertion that Alex should abdicate, but I can understand at least to some degree how she can make it. It’s the only right thing to do, based on her own values — only the rightful heir should have the throne. Ned Stark in “Game of Thrones” held the same belief, and those of you familiar with that book/tv series know what that belief cost him.
If Niviene is to be “rectified”, the best way to do so is in what comes next in the story. Circumstances and events in the story may occur to alter her point of view to support Alex, to explain her position further, reveal her for a manipulator pushing her own agenda, or render the point moot in some fashion. In short, don’t look back. Move forward based on what’s already occurred, and write the best story you can.
To be honest, I thought the entire sequence with Niviene was a wonderful drama, both with the conflict about her insisting Alex should abdicate, and her kindness to Felicity and Nicole by enabling them to see each other again.
Well done, sir. Well done. I’m eager to see what comes next. 🙂
It is not bad writing if Niviene was meant to be a jerk who in her zeal to make things conform to what she thinks is right, causes problems for everyone. A character like that can be useful (if amazingly annoying) to bring up subjects nobody wants to talk about, or even had thought of. Like whether Alex should step aside and let Daniel take over. It WOULD be bad writing if Niviene was supposed to be a sympathetic character oozing wisdom who everyone wanted to listen to. Instead of a jerk.
Scott, for the record i think Niviene is a great character. she does rub me the wrong way, but that makes her so much more dimensional! not all good guys are required to be likeable and fawn all over our heroes.
do you think Niviene would care how i felt? I don’t.
I’d have to say that Niviene is a successful character–she rouses a lot of feeling, both for and against, she creates tension, not by being evil (as far as we know) but by pointing out to the heroes a disconcerting truth. At most, I’d be tempted to make her a bit more diplomatic–but then that’s me, not Niviene. She should do as she must to be true to herself.
Most likely it’s because she didn’t know of the existence of Daniel at the time. Alex probably told her about him before he woke up, in a scene we didn’t see. Then, while he was gone, Nas probably explained it all, which is why she changed her viewpoint.
Is it any worse (or better) than “strange women lyin’ in ponds distributin’ swords” to bestow supreme governmental power?
Come to think of it, wasn’t Niviene herself involved in that episode? Maybe that’s why she got her tail in a twist: she’s been replaced as kingmaker!
It’s all beginning to come clear now.
Agreed. And, for the record, you only start hearing me use endearing terms like “hon” if I like ya. So, hope you didn’t take it the opposite way. I like your sass, Poydras!
בהצלחה
I typed a longer response, but the system ate it and said ‘slow down’ (obnoxious comment system should go visit lonely Nivienne) – the point of which was: Nivienne is a conflicted character here, as she was in the Camelot tales – meaning well but doing wrong. Here, at least, her condescending and absurd behavior is explained by her thousand years of solitude, which would drive anyone nuts. Irrelevant that Dan’s the rightful king – it’s not like Alex forcefully pried the crown from him and took it for himself!
Niviene is who she is. She’s vivacious, abrupt, opinionated, powerful, and I think, a good guy. I know people like her in real life–when they know they are right, they are RIGHT and there’s nothing you can do or say to change their mind. And those are some of my dearest friends. So I understand Niviene, but Poydras and others are right–this is not Niviene’s choice to make, it’s Alex’s.
You could certainly soften her a bit, Scott, if you want to. Either way I’m happy with her.
And…I hate to break it to you, kiddo, but you ARE a writer. 🙂 Your story is well crafted. Keep on keepin’ on!
Yeah, well. It’s part of the reason I quit reading Shakespeare.
I hated “Hamlet”
They áll died. Whát a useless piece of writing thát was….
/snark
Niviene is the not-so-evil variation of Nicodemus. She’s, indeed, “old guard” . Added to that is the fact that she chose to stay away from the limelight for many centuries.
I think she sort of realized she had lost any authority, and tried to re-ascertain(?) that lost authority in a most unpleasant, aggravating way. She’s “lost” part of her social skills, like most recluses tend to do.
Bottom-line remains: The talking sword chose Alex. There’s no way around that. Niviene’s resentment towards Alex and Nasti (!) was pretty clearly partly motivated by her jealousy. Doesn’t make her evil, just quite human for someone with a fish-tail.
After all, finding a way to have Felicity and Nicole “meet” isn’t exactly the epitome of “evil” I’d say….
She’s just old, and véry set in her ways of thinking. She has to re-think her attitude, true, but it could also be the on-set of a new story.
Actually, it’s estimated at 7 billion as of this March.
I would also like to point out (in response to your comments about potentially changing Niviene…who I adore as she is) that some of my favorite books are those that had characters who so badly pissed me off that I put the book down (or more accurately, threw it across the room) and didn’t touch it for a year or more. When I finally calmed down enough about those characters and how they upset me, I finished the story…and LOVED it.
The best stories are the ones that provoke strong emotions…and that includes anger and hatred. 🙂 It may be that your readers finish your story (when you’ve finalized it) and go back for a re-read because they had a change of heart about Niviene due to how you wrapped things up. *shrugs* And they may hate her forever. 🙂 At least your characters are so real to us that they evoke strong emotions. That is the sign of a great writer to me.
We know know that there is an enclave of humans living in Dreamland. Prediction: The kingship passes to Dan, while Alex moves permanently to Seraphopolis to be with Nastajia. The only drawback is that it would be rather hard on his mom (and dad? Is their father still around? I can’t remember).
Explanation accepted. In a text forum like this, where people are debating issues, being called “Hon” will usually be taken as condescending, so yes, I did take it that way, probably because of the frequency that I’m forced to correct people that call me “Hon” or “Honey” in my professional life. I will endeavor to be less touchy in the future.
Hi Scott,
I just wanted to say that you are a great writer. You have managed to captured me for the whole way trough your story. I did read a lot of other different comics and a lot of them lost me trough the years. Your story is the one that has led me through some rough times and i have not one moment thought your story as bad or anything at all.
I just wanted to let you know this and as i don’t leave much comments doesn’t mean that I don’t love the story and your comments beneath them.
I don’t think having a character that no one agrees with immediately means your writing is bad. It is rather realistic and actually makes the story better. How many of us live in worlds of clear black/white where we agree with everyone and everyone agrees with us except for that one super villain who you can just kill to right the world of all wrongs?
The question is, how do the characters react to this character? Are their reactions realistic?
So I’d say, don’t worry too much about how the character has already played out, unless you have a very important reason why Niviene must be loved. More importantly is #1 how you allow the rest of the characters to react. From your explanation previously, it seems you personally agreed, to some extent, what Niviene is saying and that her way of bringing it up is within reason. Now that you know the majority of people (if you can call this a fair subject pool…) think otherwise, would that change the percentage of characters you originally planned to have agree with her? Even if they agree/disagree, maybe they can do so with different emotions/tone of voice? But in the end, you’re the author. Do whatever you think is the most correct to you.
#2 I think what makes you a good/bad writer is not whether or not all your characters are lovable. It is they have to be consistent. That doesn’t mean they can’t change, but they have to have a reason behind their change. Like Nic went from good advisor to bad villain, but the underlying theme is that he was trying to do the best for dreamland and his negative experiences with the portals changed his approach and slowly eroded his character (that’s what happened, right?). The point is, he didn’t suddenly one day go “ok, let’s be bad now.” Same with Niviene, whatever you do, just don’t suddenly make her super agreeable just to please the audience. Let your character live and be herself, let other characters respond to her, and let us respond to her.
I liked this story before, but I think it’s so much more fun lately reading everyone’s comments XD It really makes the story come alive. I think it’s a sign that you did a great job, Scott, when readers begin to discuss your characters as if they are 3D individuals with their own set of personalities and motivations, rather than just accept everything that you say because the characters are just inanimate things with only whatever properties you, the author, assigned to them and published for us to see. Did that make sense? ^^;
I See What is being said here, 1. this story has been smooth as silk, till recently when it appears to be jumping and skipping around like we missed something.
2. the mermaid B-witch, has more authority than the sword? to choose the leader?? we have not heard from the sword, and I think the mer-witch’s tirate was not responded to appropriately.
3. I think if she has been alive for thousands of years, it is time for her to die, like nic.
Don’t be silly, that’s not a balloon, it’s lodestone. All they have to do is turn it sideways and it’ll stop rising.
Just wanted to say thank you all as I continue to read your comments.
I will have a full update tonight with info on my trip to LA and why we’ve missed the last couple of updates.
Not every character in a story has to be likeable. That would be awfully boring.
Of course, if you want Niviene to be a sympathetic character–which I think you do–well, she isn’t yet. Obviously she’s still too stuck in self-pity to acknowledge any responsibilities but those of duty. Maybe I’m too mired in so-called modern values to see much merit in patrilineal inheritance, but I think Niviene’s ignoring the needs of the Kingdom in favor of tradition. For my money, Dan wouldn’t make a very good king. A good advisor, yes, but so far he lacks the charisma, bravery and boneheaded stubbornness that Dreamland needs.
Will Niviene change her mind? Maybe, that’s up to you–but please don’t assume that she has to.
No sweat, man. Just don’t let Hollywood get to your head. 🙂
I for one love the storyline. I’m an English major and aspiring writer, if that counts for anything. I read dozens of fantasy novels a year, and I ADORE Dreamland. I may not like all the characters, but that’s pretty normal. Not every reader likes every character. I may not like our Lady of the Lake as a person(Mermaid) but as a character? Love her, same way I love Amalia from Dragon Slippers or Umbridge from Harry Potter- sure, she’s a pain, but she’s still quite fun in her way.
anyway, I love Dreamland, and it’s been a real comfort to me these last few months- I moved away from home for school in January, and reading a new comic is like.. like i’m siting in my computer nook back home. so, thank you.
I think I’m going thru Dreamland withdraw. Is there a cure for this addiction?
More Cowbells!
(Sorry, couldn’t resist! Had to De-Lurk for it)
Loving the Comic. Niviene may be annoying, but that makes you root for Alex more!
I’m migrating towards the camp that thinks of Alex not being King as not such a bad thing?
Enough double negatives there? 😉
I do think that Dan would be the better King, although I wonder if even he would want the “job.”
Would it be confusing to say that I like Niviene as a character without liking her actual character? I was thinking that she was SUPPOSED to rub us the wrong way (and there are characters that do that, even if you made this one by accident). She’s 1000 years old, and has had no contact with the outside world, Dreamland or otherwise (Yeah, she has her magic pool, but I got the impression that she only uses it to stare longingly at Merlin’s tree…), so her ideals are supposed to seem outdated. She thinks Dan should be king only because he’s the firstborn and that’s what tradition dictates. She hasn’t seen how much Good Alex has done for Dreamland already, and how much training he’s already had to BE the king, while Dan, though he has had some good advice, hasn’t really had that experience.
And, yeah, Staj might be being a bit selfish in wanting Alex to stay, but she’s not the only one that thinks Alex would be a good king. (And I’m not talking about Kiwi, Paddington, or Felicity, either, though they certainly count…)
So right now, Niviene is a Devil’s Advocate character. Whether she changes her mind eventually is, of course, up to you, but I think it would be interesting either way.
P.S. I wrote this without really reading any of the above comments, except for Scott’s, so if I’m rehashing or restating anything that’s already been said, just take that as a confirmation of ideals or something.
SEMC: [interrupting] Hold it, hold it. What is this? Are you trying to trick me? Where’s the sports?
[suspiciously]
SEMC: Is this a kissing book?
Scott: Wait, just wait.
SEMC: Well, when does it get good?
Scott: Keep your shirt on, and let me write.
It is okay to have love-hate relationship with characters in stories, good or bad. I love the powerful Mace Windu (Star Wars), but I hated how his character was portrayed in the movies. Terrible lines, small character development… like a giant brute who won King of the Mountain.
Loved The Joker (Nicholson and Ledger) ’nuff said.
Napoleon Dynamite: Why make a movie of someone that is that socially challenged/inept. Yet I still dressed up like him for Halloween and watch the movie once/twice a year. I laugh every time. Even watch Jon Heder’s other movies.
Favorite love-hate = Professor Snape. You know why if you’ve read Harry Potter.
Looking at, listening to, Nivienne, there’s still a lot we really don’t know about her or what her motivations are. How much does she know about what has been going on around her in Dreamland over the centuries of her existence? How much of her attitudes are shaped by the history she’s lived through? How powerful is she in magic – and what does SHE want?
Answering those questions could be a story all by itself….
Last bit of render is almost done.
I PROMISE we’ll have a page in the morning (once I get the boys to school).
Sorry for the delays.
Again…I’ll try to explain as much as I can in the next page’s blog post.
Have a good night.
Ahhh…the last few days the boys go to school then Summer Vacation. My condolences. 😀 Could be worse I suppose. Over half the girls in my brother’s family are sick as well is he. Doing his rounds at Vandy in a mask.
I agree with you that it is good from a storytelling perspective to have allies that aren’t entirely likeable, since it adds more depth and realism to the story. A major part of the reason I take issue with what I find to be indicators of Niviene’s lack of credibility is that Scott has stated that she is actually advocating for his viewpoint. Given that he, as an author, wants to convince the audience of her claims, I think there are some aspects of her character that would behove him to address — for me, her lack of action over time is the primary issue. Perhaps in the future, our heroes could find evidence that she had taken steps after Merlin’s loss to continue his legacy and get the rightful ruler on the throne.
One point that some comments above seem to miss: Niviene might have been alone for 1000 years, but she was not isolated. She had the pool of Auryn and kept using it. Large enough bodies of water cover quite a chunk of this planet’s surface. She’s been studying humans all this time. And Merlin’s magic kept her young all this time. This makes it hard for me to believe that her oddities come from either isolation, or age, or insufficient knowledge of human nature. Come on, she knew our world well enough to immediately locate the lake closest to the Carters’ house. Try it with Google Maps.
So if I had to guess, I’d say it’s Merlin. If coming of the true king is, beside all other good things it’s going to bring to Dreamland, somehow linked to Merlin’s release from the tree, she’s trading Alex’s and Nastajia’s happiness for her own. And it’s exactly her *not* being an evil person that makes her so harsh. She’s not mad at Alex. She’s mad at herself. She hates doing this and wants it over as soon as at all possible. Hence the hurry.
Then again, you never can tell with Scott. 🙂
I dunno, I think Niviene has it all wrong. Daniel is Alex’s Merlin. Maybe that’s why she wants him in Dreamland.
Am I the only one who really wants to say “Forget the missed updates, we know you’ll get to them when you can… WHAT HAPPENED IN L.A.?!?!? 😀 😀 🙂
Hmm, you mean we can’t expect Daniel to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart gave a sword to him?
I’m not interested in reading the story that Scott thinks everybody else wants to see. When J. Michael Straczynski wrote Babylon 5, he said (paraphrase) “I didn’t write B5 because I wanted to. I wrote it because I had to. I couldn’t NOT do it.” Now THAT’s the story I want to see. Stay true to yourself, Scott.
Interesting perspective. In spite of Niviene dubbing him the next “Arthur” it’ll be interesting to see if that comparison manifests again further down the line.
And for the record, I thought the shadowed lighting on Niviene’s face in the last pages final panel was eerie, like a foreshadowing of evil doings. We’ll see.
WIN!
I think we all like poydras’s sass. 🙂 I may not agree with it, but it makes me smile.
No no no… GOOD pun! 🙂
See? Theories like this are why I’m so much a fan of Niviene’s character. 😀
I have to admit; this thread’s references to the word “sass” have generated some hilarious e-mail. 😉
I totally do that at work and have learned to be a bit more careful. Not everyone likes the familiarity!
Heh! I can’t imagine why! 😉
time to play around with some remote software so you can get into your home machines while traveling. 😉
Me too. And I may not agree with her opinions, but I do respect them.
Of course, my opinions have the advantage of being right. 😉
And missing her squeeze, being terribly frustrated for centuries, and not appreciating what Alex and Nastajia have.
If people only ever said “nice” things, nothing would ever be achieved. Adopting the attitude that we should just coddle each others’ feelings endlessly and silence our ideas for the sake of avoiding potential insult is tragic.