Traal Anno 3
I feel like this kind of scene plays out a lot more often in life than it does in fiction. Some might consider it an anticlimax since we had broadly hinted Penk and Magda were a romantic possibility. But I find the dynamics of it quite interesting.
Penk takes his shot here, and Magda cannot and does not miss his intent. And she knows right away that she does not feel the same.
In those senses, this is a little similar to Ardaic’s last scene with Syr’Nj. But Syr’Nj pities Ardaic as a man trapped by duty to an institution subverted by evil. Magda, however, deeply admires Penk. She’s comfortable around him, and they share a common moral sense on top of their shared mission as Champions. Their shared religion gives them a familial bond on top of that. All the ingredients for romance seem to be there, but if the feels are not felt, then nothing else matters. Perhaps she’s not ready for love. Perhaps she admires Penk a little too much to feel comfortable with him as a romantic partner. Perhaps she’s…simply not attracted to trolls. It doesn’t matter.
Because these are good people, this swerve doesn’t play out as “dramatically” as it might’ve. Magda does her best to let Penk down easy. She hopes he won’t be too hurt, and she trusts that he won’t be angry with her. Penk…obviously hoped for a different outcome here. But he understands that this is her choice, and that his disappointment is not her problem. At any rate, this romantic “near miss” was as satisfying to write as some romances were, for me.
(Great alt text, Flo.)
Gosh, well, count me in as someone who again did not catch the hint. I thought she was just being coy.
I think “…thoughtful” is what really sets the intended tone for the rest. Reads like a moment where she realized that none of the words he was likely hoping for would be true, but she wanted to be tactful.
More like “MASTER OF TAKING HITS”, oof.
Listen closely; that’s “What a Fool Believes” playing in the background.
Is it just me or have Penk’s shoulders shrunk to almost pre-Champion size?
Also: Yeah, I would probably have noticed the hint, either if Penk (and the visuals, and the alt-text) had not reacted to it so directly. I would have thought she was just explaining that she had not had any time to come up with something personal so she had to go with this.
Perhaps he grows and shrinks according to the situation, like the Hulk!