Fairy Tale - Once Upon A Time 1
Nov. 18th, 2024 02:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iridesenescenceSeason: Spring
[An hour later, after Tori and Yuzuru have left]
Eichi: Hm~mm...
Was the talk about burning books a bad idea, Wataru?
It was something said in jest — I just wanted to make Tori laugh.
Wataru: Your jokes are hard to understand, Eichi. And I know you were at least half serious about it.
Eichi: Who, me? I would never start burning books in ES, I know fires are prohibited here.
Ah, but if we were in the dorm courtyard, then maybe we could burn the banned books and roast some sweet potatoes with them?
That way, those books telling self-serving stories which don't provide their readers any benefit would at least be given some meaning to their existence by becoming fuel. How unfortunate.
Wataru: See, that there is the problem.
Himegimi brought those books here like a pet bringing toys, hoping its beloved owner would play with it.
But all you did was bully him — of course he would struggle to react.
Because of all the cynical things you said, Himegimi started worrying that the proposal he brought wasn't to your liking and grew despondent.
And in the end, he left as if running away, without even deciding on the motif of the main attraction.
You could afford to take Himegimi's request for help more seriously, you know.
Eichi: That stings, I was trying to be serious. In my own way, anyway.
To begin with, I've entrusted the entire Atlantis project to Tori, so I don't intend to object to anything, no matter what kind of motif he chooses or what kind of project he turns it into. I'll trust his judgement.
So all I did was answer seriously with my frank opinion on the picture books when he asked for it.
Wataru: Hm, so you're just not partial to picture books?
Eichi: Don't get me wrong, what I dislike is when characters don't do anything in particular and are saved just by waiting in place—
Fairy tales where the story progresses illogically like that.
Wataru: Come now, there's nothing wrong with a deus ex machina or two, is there?
Necessity and hooks must coexist in a story — it's all fine as long as the audience stays interested.
Eichi: I know that.
But since picture books are books for children, their stories are simplistic, aren't they?
I can't help but be bothered by the lack of depth in the writing, which ends up feeling like a deus ex machina.
Wataru: All you have to do is fill in the gaps yourself as you read, really.
Eichi: That's just a remake or derivative work. Background information that isn't written in is just the writer's own laziness.
And hey, you keep making it sound like I'm the only one at fault, but you came up with "The Pied Piper of Hamelin", so you're in no position to talk.
There's no way that would be suitable as the motif for an attraction, is there?
Wataru: Oh, how rude. I'll have you know I put plenty of thought into my choice!
There are plenty of amusement parks everywhere with motifs of all kinds, so I purposefully made an unusual choice.
Besides, I'm fully confident I could turn the story into a happy end if I was the merry pied piper.
Eichi: I can't agree with adapting a story when the author hasn't consented to it.
Wataru, even if picture books are meant to be read by children, don't you think their stories can be more than just fluff meant to placate children?
It's because children are given notions of such sweet dreams when they're young, that they eventually suffer when they're beaten down by reality.
It would hurt less if they learned about reality from the beginning, wouldn't it? They could brace themselves for the pain.
But these days, even stories that don't have happy endings for all their characters are being changed on a whim to make things seem nicer. Really, what has the world come to?
Wataru: Ah, that's true.
Perhaps because of the era in which they were written, a lot of the original versions of fairy tales have rather grim endings, or leave you wondering just what sort of lesson was meant to be gleaned from them.
There are picture books that could easily strike children as scary or cruel.
Eichi, did you read the story of "The Farmer and the Badger" that Himegimi brought earlier?
In modern versions, the old woman doesn't die, and the rabbit doesn't exact revenge by hurting the badger three times over.
The badger has a change of heart in the end, and they all sit down to enjoy a meal together ☆
Eichi: Sigh... That over-the-top depiction of retributive justice was such a brilliant showcase of the gloominess of human nature, even if it was the rabbit exacting vengeance.
Ah, I suppose that's a deus ex machina too. The old man didn't have to dirty his hands, because the rabbit carried out his revenge for him.
That aspect really shows off how self-serving humans are — it's terribly unsightly, and very tasteful... ♪
Wataru: Now we're just talking about your personal tastes, Eichi.
Eichi: Yeah, well, that's me being self-serving.
Anyhow. You've been taking Tori's side a lot recently, and I feel like you're paying extra attention to him. What's brought this on?
Wataru: I thought the previous incident did warrant some reflection on my part.
Eichi: So in your guilt, you're trying to atone for what you did? Do you regret accepting that request from myself and Z.K. Amanohashidate?
Wataru: Oh, no. I wouldn't say I regret it.
It's not as if I view friction and conflict as a bad thing. Sometimes, it's even necessary to improve relationships or for personal growth.
You could even say that the situation from Z.K. Amanohashidate-san's request was a necessary turning point for myself and Himegimi.
Through it, Himegimi and I fought with all our might and deepened our friendship, so we're now the best of friends... ♪
Eichi: What? Hey, that's not fair.
Wataru: Fufufu ♪ Isn't it lovely? Aren't you envious?
Eichi: It's no fun if you two are getting along without my assistance. I don't want you taking Tori away from me, and I don't want Tori taking you away from me either.
Wataru: Himegimi's been working hard on all sorts of things lately, you see. In lieu of his effort, I've been trying to lend him a hand wherever I can.
Just as the fairy godmother lent a helping hand to the hardworking, pure-hearted Cinderella ♪
Prologue || Once Upon A Time 2
[An hour later, after Tori and Yuzuru have left]
Eichi: Hm~mm...
Was the talk about burning books a bad idea, Wataru?
It was something said in jest — I just wanted to make Tori laugh.
Wataru: Your jokes are hard to understand, Eichi. And I know you were at least half serious about it.
Eichi: Who, me? I would never start burning books in ES, I know fires are prohibited here.
Ah, but if we were in the dorm courtyard, then maybe we could burn the banned books and roast some sweet potatoes with them?
That way, those books telling self-serving stories which don't provide their readers any benefit would at least be given some meaning to their existence by becoming fuel. How unfortunate.
Wataru: See, that there is the problem.
Himegimi brought those books here like a pet bringing toys, hoping its beloved owner would play with it.
But all you did was bully him — of course he would struggle to react.
Because of all the cynical things you said, Himegimi started worrying that the proposal he brought wasn't to your liking and grew despondent.
And in the end, he left as if running away, without even deciding on the motif of the main attraction.
You could afford to take Himegimi's request for help more seriously, you know.
Eichi: That stings, I was trying to be serious. In my own way, anyway.
To begin with, I've entrusted the entire Atlantis project to Tori, so I don't intend to object to anything, no matter what kind of motif he chooses or what kind of project he turns it into. I'll trust his judgement.
So all I did was answer seriously with my frank opinion on the picture books when he asked for it.
Wataru: Hm, so you're just not partial to picture books?
Eichi: Don't get me wrong, what I dislike is when characters don't do anything in particular and are saved just by waiting in place—
Fairy tales where the story progresses illogically like that.
Wataru: Come now, there's nothing wrong with a deus ex machina or two, is there?
Necessity and hooks must coexist in a story — it's all fine as long as the audience stays interested.
Eichi: I know that.
But since picture books are books for children, their stories are simplistic, aren't they?
I can't help but be bothered by the lack of depth in the writing, which ends up feeling like a deus ex machina.
Wataru: All you have to do is fill in the gaps yourself as you read, really.
Eichi: That's just a remake or derivative work. Background information that isn't written in is just the writer's own laziness.
And hey, you keep making it sound like I'm the only one at fault, but you came up with "The Pied Piper of Hamelin", so you're in no position to talk.
There's no way that would be suitable as the motif for an attraction, is there?
Wataru: Oh, how rude. I'll have you know I put plenty of thought into my choice!
There are plenty of amusement parks everywhere with motifs of all kinds, so I purposefully made an unusual choice.
Besides, I'm fully confident I could turn the story into a happy end if I was the merry pied piper.
Eichi: I can't agree with adapting a story when the author hasn't consented to it.
Wataru, even if picture books are meant to be read by children, don't you think their stories can be more than just fluff meant to placate children?
It's because children are given notions of such sweet dreams when they're young, that they eventually suffer when they're beaten down by reality.
It would hurt less if they learned about reality from the beginning, wouldn't it? They could brace themselves for the pain.
But these days, even stories that don't have happy endings for all their characters are being changed on a whim to make things seem nicer. Really, what has the world come to?
Wataru: Ah, that's true.
Perhaps because of the era in which they were written, a lot of the original versions of fairy tales have rather grim endings, or leave you wondering just what sort of lesson was meant to be gleaned from them.
There are picture books that could easily strike children as scary or cruel.
Eichi, did you read the story of "The Farmer and the Badger" that Himegimi brought earlier?
In modern versions, the old woman doesn't die, and the rabbit doesn't exact revenge by hurting the badger three times over.
The badger has a change of heart in the end, and they all sit down to enjoy a meal together ☆
Eichi: Sigh... That over-the-top depiction of retributive justice was such a brilliant showcase of the gloominess of human nature, even if it was the rabbit exacting vengeance.
Ah, I suppose that's a deus ex machina too. The old man didn't have to dirty his hands, because the rabbit carried out his revenge for him.
That aspect really shows off how self-serving humans are — it's terribly unsightly, and very tasteful... ♪
Wataru: Now we're just talking about your personal tastes, Eichi.
Eichi: Yeah, well, that's me being self-serving.
Anyhow. You've been taking Tori's side a lot recently, and I feel like you're paying extra attention to him. What's brought this on?
Wataru: I thought the previous incident did warrant some reflection on my part.
Eichi: So in your guilt, you're trying to atone for what you did? Do you regret accepting that request from myself and Z.K. Amanohashidate?
Wataru: Oh, no. I wouldn't say I regret it.
It's not as if I view friction and conflict as a bad thing. Sometimes, it's even necessary to improve relationships or for personal growth.
You could even say that the situation from Z.K. Amanohashidate-san's request was a necessary turning point for myself and Himegimi.
Through it, Himegimi and I fought with all our might and deepened our friendship, so we're now the best of friends... ♪
Eichi: What? Hey, that's not fair.
Wataru: Fufufu ♪ Isn't it lovely? Aren't you envious?
Eichi: It's no fun if you two are getting along without my assistance. I don't want you taking Tori away from me, and I don't want Tori taking you away from me either.
Wataru: Himegimi's been working hard on all sorts of things lately, you see. In lieu of his effort, I've been trying to lend him a hand wherever I can.
Just as the fairy godmother lent a helping hand to the hardworking, pure-hearted Cinderella ♪
Prologue || Once Upon A Time 2
