Page Commentary No. 326

Psu: I kinda don't remember how this page went, but it definitely gets across a mood.

Gunwild: I know what this little confusion and cute faux pas means to me, but I think I was hoping it would get the reader's imagination working on the subject, too. So, what's it mean to you?

Psu: I think... it's like everything about this moment is heightened because of the drama of revealing you've just left your job with your friends and crew that relied on you. So the little things here feel bigger. Maddy wonders if she's still capable of setting a good example. She wonders if she needs to listen to this. She can't just laugh it off either, she's just not in the mood.

Gunwild: Yeah. I think what I was probably trying to do is recapitulate the whole change in status quo of this story with Maddy relating to her crew more on their level... but even though that's a good thing, it's certainly happening on awkward terms rather than the nice ones there should be. So unfortunately, the end-of-the-night diner food will lack the savor it should have. It would be nice if she could goof with them, and she does have it in her, but she's definitely not there yet.

Psu: Yeah, and like... if this were a friend quitting a job they hated and coming to dinner with friends afterwards that'd be one thing. But these guys know that the only thing Maddy has wanted was to be a captain. Maybe they might've seen that she was feeling off, but Maddy keeps these sorts of things close to her chest.

Gunwild: Anyway, remember, it's okay to put your elbows on the table almost all the time, just decide based on the fanciness of the situation. And this could definitely be an elbows-on-the-table moment, but poor Cupcake is trying to cling to unhelpful elements of normality.

Psu: But elbows can be useful for supporting your head!

Gunwild: Or your friends!

Psu: But what if you can't tell your friends everything that's going on? Well that's certainly gonna be awkward for sure...

Gunwild: Hope she gets to lay it out for them someday, they sure all deserve it. But people don't always get what they deserve.

Psu: Well. Theira's probably gonna order more wings. Maybe that'll help break the ice.

Gunwild: That about cover it?

Psu: It might be... do you have anything else you can add about the writing of this page? Like why the elbow thing?

Gunwild: Oh, the elbow thing specifically I always found funny, because as a kid I was taught some etiquette in school. One of the rules for any kind of proper dinner that I always remembered was not resting your elbows on the table - because of course, I like resting my elbows on the table. As a rule, it's almost totally unnecessary, but I still follow it out of habit in a variety of settings. So maybe that's why I thought Cupcake might cleave to it in desperation. It's entirely symbolic and she can't even fall back on it at a time like this in the way she'd like to.

Psu: And there are more important things, like can we get more food here to lighten the mood.

Gunwild: I guess it's a small thing to show them stumbling over a matter as pointless as etiquette, but ending on a stumble seemed like the right place to put them for now.

Psu: Let's hope we don't stumble, eh?

Gunwild: Everybody does, it's the human condition! I'm a writer, I get to claim things are just "the human condition" and it's always a valid excuse. Oh wait you were setting us up to sign off. I mean, uh... yes.

Gunwild: (Nailed it.)

Psu: (puts elbows on desk)