Annotated 49-9
“You know cultists better than any of us…even though your track record of avoiding cultist traps is actually not that great.”
Ulak’s original dialogue: “It’s like all our nihilism was for nothing!” Maybe funnier, but it doesn’t fit Byron’s label of “This guy’s a thinker.”
The humility at the core of Penk’s character gets to shine a bit here. Even though he’s a warchief who conquered Gastonia mere hours ago, he has to accept that in this matter, he’s subordinate to his allies. Weo’s word means that only the Arkerran Five can stop HR, and the winter elves’ history of accurate predictions is still at 100%. Does it gall him a little to admit that not only he, but his whole Rebellion, can be of no direct help against HR? Perhaps it does. But because Penk is Penk, if it does, no one can tell.
Nice allusion to the wheather — “concerning” might be a little bit of an understatement, and it has been kinda apocalyptic for a while now, but it also helps draw the parallel to Sepia World.
The way I see it, Penk also knows that he can perhaps help by “holding the line” so that none of The Five are distracted by wondering if they could have been needed elsewhere. If his job isn’t at the front then he will hold the rearguard together. He’s secure enough in himself to not need to be doing only the glamorous jobs.
Magda not tagged. That’s her on the stairs of the Hall of Houses.
Clair leaning on Best. Does it hold any significance? Can we ship it?
Clair: If this wasn’t the new Best, then we could expect him to take full advantage of Clair’s state of mind, followed by the “once doesn’t count” defense, at which point Clair would either kill him instantly or die of depression.
Since it *is* the new Best, I would assume that he’s offering her a shoulder to cry on and some empathy, but not more at this point. And if he does it right, that should allow us no conclusions about any ships whatsoever.
Got Magda, thanks!
Best/Clair is not the worst idea in abstract. We never showed Clair as explicitly attracted to anyone, but that hardly means she’s incapable of it. She’s certainly open to new experiences and experimentations. Best may have once been a douche who abandoned his partners to pining and unsupported pregnancies. But he rarely left his lovers unsatisfied in the bedroom, and Clair, as a woman of means and magic, would not necessarily need much more from him than that. Bardic magick is a different type than her own, but she knows a few things about it that’d interest him, and she’s drawn to heroes. Her brother would’ve been a protective obstacle, but still, it could’ve happened in another life. I don’t think there’s time for anything to develop between them now: Clair is catatonic with grief and even the old, douchey Best wouldn’t have touched that (he’s had his pick of partners, and prefers those with energy and enthusiasm). Plus, y’know, the apocalypse is a little too imminent to help the mood.
I s’pose if you really want to imagine such a thing, there’d be a chance for a brief hookup in the post-victory celebrations we’ll see in Chapter 50. Such a liaison could even help Clair, depending on where she was in her grieving process—sex and pillow talk don’t fix everything, but they can be a big part of self-care, especially with a partner as thoughtful as Best has become. Best seems to be going celibate as he figures out who he is and leaves old toxic habits behind, but he could be moved to make an exception if Clair asked him in that spirit. I can’t say this is anything I’d considered until now, though, and I think it’d have to be brief in any case. Best will have his own journey to undertake, and Clair in Episode 50 will be shown growing into a new role that should fully occupy her for a while.
Rather than feeling peeved, Penk looks downright please that this is a “you” thing and by prophecy not a “me” thing. Now you all go handle and me will try to get ready to handle if you mess up, but for now, have fu-uun. Okay, not that pleased, but there’s a hint, a wryness in his expression, if you will.
My read anway.