How dare you trick me with that happy-go-lucky beginning, how dare you, mister. I got fooled! I let my guard down, smiling along with Kevin bringing Charlie along for a shopping trip, having her enjoy the luxury of being outside… Goddamnit.
Well, I suppose I’ll talk a bit about that before getting into the main stuff in this chapter.
Like I said, love the downtime! There’s not much detail, but it’s still showing us that Kevin and Charlie are bonding with cute little details like Charlie’s newfound love for chocolate and her continued hatred for the unethical consumption of meat. The bit about “some people are just destined for Hell” got a good giggle out of me lol
but then the giggles died
It’s a fucked situation, but… that’s the reality. Doesn’t mean it hurts less though, as clearly evidenced by Charlie’s breakdown and subsequent kiss-
wait what
So yeah, I initially was very caught off guard, thinking “Whoa, that’s waaaay too soon to be making out in more than one way” and at first, I had thought it felt too fast to be making a move like this.
But then it hit me; duh. Of course it felt too fast because it is too fast, and it’s not without its reasons! Consider the fact that base Charlie - the Charlie that has successfully saved kids - still got so emotionally rattled that she needed some time to collect herself. Then in comes a tragedy, something that she feels she could’ve prevented, and that turmoil is amped up. Suddenly emotions are all over the place, tears are leaking out and clothes are flying off at record speed…
Okay that was a bit of hyperbole, but my point is that people suffering from irrational thoughts are bound to do irrational actions, and Charlie suddenly kissing Kevin is definitely irrational. I don’t mean to say that it’s bad writing though; on the contrary, I think it’s a perfectly natural progression, and it’s a nice gateway to them talking it out.
Speaking of which, can I say how much I appreciate that this conflict wasn’t dragged out? A lot of times, this sort of situation would result in days (ie. multiple chapters or episodes) of not talking before the situation is finally resolved. And sometimes that would make sense depending on the characters involved, but it wouldn’t here because their relationship is build on honesty, so… it doesn’t! Kevin managed to explain himself and Charlie let him! Sure it doesn’t solve everything, but it’s still so nice to see two people talk things out and reach a satisfying conclusion (within their established characters, of course).
Little things I couldn’t find anywhere to insert:
Fucking love the line “her demon voice coats her softer voice like crude oil.”
Holy shit we’re gonna meet Cassie! 🎉
Aaaaand this is the end of Act One? Uh oh, why do I have a sinking feeling about this…?
What a great chapter! It went by so fast, but the little kerfuffle near the end gave me a lot to think about. I’m really eager to jump to the next chapter/act, but in the meantime, I hope you liked my comment~ ♥️
The bit about “some people are just destined for Hell” got a good giggle out of me lol <-----this right here is exactly why most of us write - that not only are our words seen, but they elicit emotion and we get comments on them. I made an extra effort to sprinkle such likes through out the stories because I feel these lil nuances build the characters so much more than just their dialogue and actions. Its far more prevalent in V2 but there are tidbits, easter eggs and wording that is directly referencing both HH and HB. I challenge you to find and mention them (wink).
As for 'too fast'. I don't think it is - by this point they've been a team for six months, sharing a bedroom (hotel) every single night for 180 plus days and the emotional turmoil, building sexual tension (we see her side of ti, but trust me, Kevin knows theres a beautiful woman in his room every night, who shares so many of his goals and beliefs. Is that not the relationship we strive for?) and while the reader does not get to know what Charlie does about Angel's past at this time (You will, much later).. all of that is the catalyst for Charlie's move.
"Not dragged out" == as you say, so many stories do this to pad their works, whether in FF, TV, film - miscommunication and the desire to throw something at the TV because the characters behave irrationally and just dont come out and say what they feel - is one of the most frustrating tropes of media and one I avoid at ALL costs (unless it feels organic and I can legit see it needing time to resolve) Charlie trust Angel - implicitly. giving him the chance to explain... Mirrors Lucifer suggesting to Vaggie that she gives charlie the chance to explain herself for kissing Kevin. Parallels. Its intentional. But I will say - this moment isnt 100% resolved - and it will resonate a little later on.
I hope love Cassie as much as I do - she's the type of soul we need when our worlds seem to fall apart around us.
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MidnightMorp on Chapter 8 Wed 06 Nov 2024 03:23PM UTC
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CWBitner on Chapter 8 Thu 07 Nov 2024 05:14AM UTC
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