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We're getting closer, now. Next chapter... Well, that would be telling, but I think it's fairly obvious where it's going.

There were a couple of things I wasn't planning on revealing quite so soon, but the spot for them was perfect, and it made sense for what was happening in the narrative, so I just went with it.

Also, have a short sidestory to go with this chapter. I liked the idea of the scene so I wrote it out, a quick thing that expands upon something revealed in the chapter, so make sure to read the chapter first.

EDIT: Moving down all the way. 7/27/2024

Comments

Marc Beans

I’m confused. How is the Big Bad Wolf being hax a good thing, according to Taylor? It’s never explained, she just segue-ways into using Chaldea to find Renee’s vital signs.

LetheAbsol

It's not the big bad wolf being 'hax' that's a good thing, it's the wall of thorns. They have an easy and secure way through the thorns because of the rules of Sleeping Beauty's story and Renée being the newfound princess. If Perrault and co hadn't kidnapped Renée then it's entirely possible there would be no way through the thorns at all.

s22132

Bad move by M, kidnapping someone Taylor might feel responsible for. As Taylor said, she doesn't let that sh*t fly.

James_D_Fawkes

Are more people confused about this than I was expecting? I thought Taylor had made it pretty clear in both dialogue and narration.

Gifted-Monster

Given killing the BBW...*snickers* is off the table, it actually broadens their tactics somewhat. Since the wolf cannot be killed except by what the story says, somewhat analogous to prophecy, they don't have to fight it. Trap it, misdirect it or confuse it is all they have to do. Would Emiya have the Vorpal Sword, or the Woodcutter's Axe I wonder?

James_D_Fawkes

I think we've been over that the Vorpal Sword is a little too esoteric for Emiya to have reasonably encountered, but I imagine he has a woodcutter's axe somewhere in that noggin of his.

Gifted-Monster

I mean, Gilgmesh would have likely had the original vorpal sword that was used as inspiration for the Vorpal Sword...

James_D_Fawkes

That's...a tricky one. Less so because the idea of the Vorpal Sword is unique or anything and more because it's a very specific weapon that kills a very specific monster. The basic concept would have existed prior to Alice in Wonderland, but the Jabberwocky and the Vorpal Sword were specific creations of Lewis Carroll's mind. It's the same way Caliburn is not Gram is not Merodach. The basic concept behind them is identical, that of a sword that chooses the king, and therefore the older version will trump the younger every time. But Gram will not choose the Rightful King born of All Britain, and vice versa for Caliburn. Does Gil have the Vorpal Sword in that vault somewhere? Maybe. But his treasury has exceeded even his own knowledge, so the odds of him ever pulling it out are much slimmer than the majority of his other weapons.

James_D_Fawkes

I'm honestly surprised that this hasn't gotten more love than it has. I put a lot of effort into getting the emotional beats right, and I thought that would hit home with a lot of people. Is there something in particular you guys just didn't like about this chapter? A part of the plot that didn't resonate or a twist that didn't land properly?

Noah Andrulis

Mostly it’s just that I couldn’t think of anything to say when I first read it. That said, the only real “twist” was with Dr. Jekyll, since I saw someone call P’s true identity before the chapter dropped.

Noah Andrulis

Also, I think it might also be that, frankly speaking, not as many people are invested in the people who are the focal point of the intended emotional beats of the chapter as, say, Chapter CXXXIX: Paracelsus. Flamel is a wonderful character, but OC servants always have an uphill battle to make people care about them. That said, I do like the chapter, and the bit with Jekyll at the end was the first time in a long while you’ve actually managed to surprise me in Hereafter.

Raphael Mort

It also wouldn't be "the sword that slays the jabberwocky", it would be "the sword that is the one weakness of the unbeatable creature" or something like that, since it's the base concept without a story giving it form. So it's even less useful to Gilgamesh, and even less likely for him to use, and even less likely for EMIYA to ever encounter (the only time he could see it is in a fight against Herakles, and Gilgamesh figures out within 15 seconds what weapons will kill Herakles, so no need to look for esoteric stuff).

James_D_Fawkes

If you ever need a reminder for how good Gil's "eyes" are, he can actually count the number of Projections Shirou is preparing in his head during their final fight in UBW route.