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Vagabonds: Chapter 5
🕑 Added 2022-07-03 13:01:02 +0000 UTCSo this chapter is a double POV, Merida and Gel.
Starting with Merida, I get absolutely frustrated with this one. Because when I wrote it, I was trying to have her relationship with Chara be comforting and familial. Like, the closest thing you had to a friend and mother, and you’re not gonna be able to see her again. So you should be tearful when saying goodbye, right?
Instead, everyone read them as lovers. Lovers. Like, Merida is a child but apparently I wrote the scene like they were lovers by mistake and I just can’t see it. Maybe it was something I just don’t notice when it comes to heartfelt scenes between families in movies and other media.
Beyond that, I was happy to have Merida come off as distant rude. The kind of rude where it feels like they’re not paying attention, then look at you funny as if you’re an idiot for saying something they don’t understand. Given her closeted upbringing, I think it fits.
With Gel’s, I tried to introduce more worldbuilding but also his ‘playful asshole’ persona. He’s impatient, and the crew has ways to keep him from making things worse. Like the Road Rage protocol. I also wanted to explore a different avenue of space travel because, at the time, I find hyperspace to be too freeing of a concept in world building. Crossing great distances so quickly seemed like it’d be hell to track with the concept of time (Something trek shows never seem to bring up when contacting high command). So I stole from Stargate, put it in space, and had them regulated.
Space travel is limited by gate size, meaning that giant battle cruisers would be difficult to send out. Because they’re technically lost technology, no one has been able to find ways to make new bigger ones.
I did end up making this too limiting, but that’s practice for ya.
