Page Commentary No. 313

Psu: You'd think this page might have been easy to draw! And you'd only be half right! It was still tricky nailing down these expressions. And I happen to like big empty spaces like this. It's dramatic stage lighting and spotlights when characters are ready to give a soliloquy or something. The light makes the audience focus on the small things.

Gunwild: I never touch my own neck when I'm nervous, it'd probably come away all sweaty and gross and make me even more awkward...

Psu: Ya know I don't really do that either. I like putting my hands in my pockets or even fiddle with a belt loop. But that would be impossible to convey with a mid to close up shot of a character's face! But if you wanted to focus on other elements, you can do a close up of a character's feet too. There's a lot of body language there like if you see them cross their ankles under a table. Or they could be tapping their foot. Anyway, I think it says a lot that Russ takes off his hat. Though I don't have specific words for what that is trying to say.

Gunwild: If I take off my hat it's to ask our Patrons to put money in it, usually! Anyway, I think this is probably very different than military trials work or should work, but y'know, dramatic convenience. And they're being all shady about it anyway.

Psu: I think trials and stuff tend to work differently in like... a Constitutional Republic or whatever it's called. But I think this is when we really start hammering home that the Regency is a little uh... Empire like.

Gunwild: Every space navy that's a bit like the British one sort of has to be! What the heck else do you need a big space navy for?

Psu: Yeah but most fictional space navies have larger pauldrons and look more menacing at the outset. Like they put gothic castles on their space ships. I just make the Regency space ships look like laser guns, ie vaguely threatening but clean and futuristic!

Gunwild: Yeah, well, a lot of the worst societies have spiffing uniforms... but I hope it's clear from what we're seeing here that Russ really is forthright to a fault, etc. So I guess the place can't be all bad.

Psu: I think when we discussed this page, I think we both agreed that Maddy would already be resigned to it. Like we didn't want to make this chapter about Maddy fighting a forgone conclusion. She's not the type of person to maybe... try to weasel out of something that she knew would be against the rules. We already had her character growth.

Gunwild: Yes, she instead deserves for circumstances to grow better around her! But uh, I wouldn't go betting on that.

Psu: At the least Maddy got a decent severance package... She did get a severance package right?

Gunwild: Well, as you may remember, in the ensuing page she's allowed to "retire voluntarily" so probably not... but she still gets to keep her noble title she earned and stuff, that's got benefits.

Psu: Oh right. I guess we're just lucky they didn't uh... take severance more literally?

Gunwild: Somebody should cut you off from the puns.

Psu: You'll have to court-martial me for that to happen.