A Requiem From Winter Past (not the real deal)

Okay, otters. In this post, John will start talking like a talking otter on random stuff related to A Requiem From Winter Past. Otherwise known as the kind of fiction genre most likely reviled by his fellow southern otters, John decided to tell every otter the story of a world where God doesn't exist. Of course, it's fictional. But how much of the fictional is in fact non-fictional?

Faction more real than reality?

When otters see news of unarmed black otters getting shot, every otter says the world is screwed up. When otters see news of an Irish Craiglist, every otter says the world is screwed up. When otters see news of secondary school pups watching too much Tropic Thunder, every otter says the world is screwed up. So here is John question to every otter:

When was the last time the world was never screwed up?

A Requiem From Winter Past won't give every otter the answer. But will it ask any otter some important questions? When an otter never felt any guilt for shooting an unarmed black otter numerous times, does it mean that otter feared God? When an otter sentenced a sex offender to a six-month jail sentence, does it mean that otter was better than Pontius Pilate? When an otter was perfectly fine with the mentally and intellectually challenged being tortured in school so long none of them purchased an AR-15, does it make that otter the next president/prime minister of his/her country? When an otter chose not to repent of his wickedness despite being released three months in advance from a six-month jail sentence, it's only morally right to say such otter is heading to hell.

The fun thing about writing dark fiction is that, more or less, you're writing about the real world. John knows perfectly well the reactions expected.

Critics' response: NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!! YOU WILL CORRUPT THE SOCIETY WITH THE TRUTH!!!!!

John's reply: Excuse me, I'm not responsible for the movies people watch in Yangtze Cinema.

Critics' response: NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!! YOU WILL CORRUPT THE CHILDREN!!!!!

John's reply: Excuse me, I never said my work is for kids. And besides, I don't mind the government telling me that it should be rated NC16.

The greatest challenge for John lies in the technique. How can John go about doing things in such a way that readers would not get themselves stuck in a scene involving rituals and orgies lasting two to three pages? If rituals and orgies are a must to tell the readers "hey, this is screwed up because I got the idea from the goat guy in Berserk", there has to be a clear line being drawn. There are two ways to make it work. Either you do it like Miura "he really got the guts to spam hiatus" Kentaro or you do it in another way that is... well, less offensive while retaining the whole "this is so Westerosly Berserk, dude" feel.

John realises he can do dialogue very well. John realises this is because his freedom of self-expression was effectively banned by the educational environment since his days at Gan Eng Seng School during the 90s. John realises what works against him can also work for him. Only a few paragraphs at most are needed to tell the readers why "this is so Westerosly Berserk, dude".

When it comes to showing instead of telling, it's all about trimming the fat off the description in the same way a decently efficient government can trim the fat off the budget without screwing the people. That's how John does it. He means the writing, not the politics. Also, this is John's writing style, so no offence meant to other writers.

When it comes to telling instead of showing, that's where dialogue comes in. 80% of the screwed up stuff is made up of dialogue. While not every character would swear like a typical student from Gan Eng Seng School during the 90s (apologies in advance to Ms Ho Peng who was the principal back then), you can be assured that plenty of characters are those who spend 90% of their lives living by the sword while the remaining 10% is there to remind the readers good things never last in a world that sucks. Which in a nutshell is the true story of the real world.

Fighting scenes, however, are an exception. Or at least that's what John is planning right now. Credit goes to R.A "not R-21" Salvatore. John really likes the way Drizzt Do'Urden fights like a boss. Okay, not just Drizzt. There are characters like Catti-brie, Wulfgar, and Bruenor Not to mention as well Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle.

Gloves off, claws out, and all-out offensive

Be prepared to see vulgarities flinging here and there. Granted there's a line being drawn, but you don't expect John to play it civil. Because in a (fictional) world where God doesn't exist, being civilised becomes a matter of postmodernism. Actually, that has already happened. John means his work, not his world.

When it comes to offending people via a fictional rendition of reality itself, John decided to play it super real by adding in homosexual characters. Already, there are two. Will there be more? After all, certain things happen for a reason. It's called cause and effect in a world where nothing is fair and predictable.

Spoiler: Pennywise was in the running to replace Voldemort before J.K "not J/K" Rowling decided to can the idea.
Clarification: Okay, that's #fakenews.

Rest assured that John L'Otter won't attempt any stunt when it comes to exploring sexuality. Because that's not what John intended when it comes to telling otters LGBTQ communities do exist in real life. Rowling is Rowling, John is John=Harry Potter is Harry Potter, A Requiem From Winter Past is A Requiem From Winter Past. At the same time, John does not believe in demonising certain otters in the same way John does not believe in deifying certain otters. Even if someone like a country's founding prime minister was to pass away (which did happen btw), John would only treat an otter as an otter. It's one thing to go against a fellow otter, quite another to demonise said otter. This is why being part of the Brothers Grimm is still better than being part of the Sisters Han.

The offensive factor is not just about being inclusive (not in the name of diversity, but rather in the name of reality). At the same time, things you don't really expect do... well, pop up. Take for example the goat guy in Berserk. It's only right that critics were outraged. Why? Because more than the goat guy, that part of the Berserk plot involved... well, rituals and orgies. Not just the two, but you all get the drift. Ultimately, there are two factors behind stories like Berserk and A Song of Ice and Fire/A Game of Thrones. You have the nature of reality and portrayal of reality.

Again, this is not to say John will go two to three pages describing scenes of rape, torture, and horrendous death (in no fixed order). In fact, John will only spend a few paragraphs at most telling the readers how screwed up a world akin to a crucible is.

Only wikis allowed?

John L'Otter has to be honest with every otter. The only reason why John knew about stuff concerning the screwed up stuff was the wikis. In the age of the internet where every otter enjoys the power of democracy, anything can be discovered (let's not get into the issue of the dark web). In fact, John's wiki interest isn't restricted to a series or two. To name a few, there are wikis dedicated to Berserk, A Song of Ice and Fire, Witcher, Attack of the Titans, and Hellsing. All of the named titles considered as part of the M rated stuff according to the ESRB standard. Of course, there's also a wiki dedicated to the works of Nasu "he does magic" Kinoko. Fate/Zero is merely one of them. However, it must be stated that Fate/Zero was written by Urobuchi "you wouldn't want to play Saya no Uta" Gen instead of Nasu Kinoko.

https://wiki.puella-magi.net/Gen_Urobuchi

Which now comes to the more important question: Will John eventually go beyond the wikis and straight into the actual works? At the risk of sounding self-righteous, John's answer is a no. Apart from Fate/Zero (but that's because John bought the DVDs and have yet to watch them), John knows certain things are not just about himself. Liberty is nice, but the difference between otters like him and otters unlike him lies in "what if others are involved instead of just yourself". So yes, John may end up going back to the wikis every now and then plus the occasional YouTube video clip. But no, John won't go anywhere beyond the line. Can you imagine John's reaction if he ends watching any scene of Emilia "404 Jon and Daario not found" Clarke going naked/topless? John can testify his brain will short-circuit as a result, as absurd as it sounds (note: Emilia is indeed a pretty lass if John has no choice but be honest). Of course, it can be surmised that John was making an assumption here. Still, better to assume and stay that way if you're to ask John.

Note: John's liberty should NOT be seen as a good example due to the obvious. John was horribly twisted by life experiences (which makes him into some kind of Urobuchi). John always tries to draw a line between his creativity and his life.

Add note: A tricky scenario would be A Game of Thrones censored version. Would John watch it (minus the nudity)? Possible. John has to be honest here. The main problem lies in the... well, you all get the drift.

How one should/would visualise the characters

Below is a list of key characters in A Requiem From Winter Past. Due to time constraints, John can only afford to do three vital characters. At the same time, John will include two images in order to create some sort of idea within the readers. Before John starts the ball rolling, allow John to upload two songs which arguably has the greatest impact on the plot (and characters).

Lyrics

Aeravor

If there's anything in common between the world of Westeros (plus Essos and the rest) and that of Berserk, it'd be that both are the fictional mirror of the real world every otter lives in. It's not a question of theism vs atheism. Rather, it's a matter that otters are always the same, God or no God. If there's anything in common between Jaime Lannister and Guts, it'd be the fact that they're selfish bastards mirroring the kind of world they live in, God or no God.

Aeravor's image in the eyes of others is like that of Jaime. Offensive and repulsive. Subjected to judgement from others, John finds it fun to create a character who doesn't mind being judged for the actual deeds done. And one doesn't mind being judged, it means that character doesn't mind being honest. The denial of wrongdoing despite the truth is always founded upon the need of external approval. We fear being judged, that's why the denial of wrongdoing is always our number one defensive mechanism. If we can't get away (basically, we have the ability to judge for ourselves when the fight is lost), we'd just find excuses.

"Oh, but I owned up to it already!"

"Oh, but it's actually nothing!"

"Oh, but it's the other person who seduced/provoked me!"

If Aeravor is real, he'd say "Oh, but I can see you're bullshitting". Out from a scoundrel comes a scoundrel's words. And that's what so refreshing about Aeravor. He's a scoundrel, but out from an honest scoundrel comes honest words.

The relevance between Aeravor and Guts lies in circumstances and reactions. Both exist in circumstances rejecting them (at least Jaime was both a Kingsguard and the Hand of the King, objection or no objection). Both have to contend against a world out to do them in (for Guts, this is more obvious). Both are certified rejects who, in turn, reject the existence of gods and miracles. Their cynicism can be stated in this way; They can't see the existence of gods in the reality they're in. It's like an atheist saying "I'd like to believe in your God, but I don't see a real God in your church". Of course, such an example can be interpreted as sarcasm. John doesn't mind sarcasm. In terms of having that retaliatory streak against things and people pissing them off, Aeravor and Guts are essentially the same (i.e. If you piss me off and I cut off your head, it's your fault).

The initial idea was to make Aeravor into the dark and silent type. However, there's a problem: John ended up giving more words to Aeravor's speech than otherwise intended. As a result, Aeravor becomes a foul-mouthed sellsword firing away like a machine gun (actually, John is sure majority of the sellsword swear 24/7). John realised that this current Aeravor looks better than the intended one. The reason why lies in going against the grain. When dark characters must speak very little. Dark characters must keep to themselves more oft than not. However, dark characters tend to be abrasive and there's definitely more than one way to do that. Either it's displaying aloofness or an outright show of hostility. Hostility can be expressed in two ways. Physical hostility and non-physical hostility.

On being emo (after all, dark characters tend to shun the company of others), Aeravor has no need for that. Yes, he has suffered a lot. But that's not an excuse to say "you don't understand me!" as if such a speech should form even 30% of his interactions. Eventually, John is very sure Aeravor will have his "you don't understand me!" moments. However, it is John's wish that the occasional self-pity won't end up hijacking the overall personality.

Aeravor doesn't believe in the righteousness of others because he sees himself in others. Yet, why is it that others can't see themselves in him? Self-righteousness, in the right hands, can be very useful to drive the story. It is effectively using the culture to define the character instead of the character doing it by him/herself. In fact, what Geralt of Rivia said did play a vital role in John's decision to play the mocker.

[“People like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves. When they get blind-drunk, cheat, steal, beat their wives, starve an old woman, when they kill a trapped fox with an axe or riddle the last existing unicorn with arrows, they like to think that the Bane entering cottages at daybreak is more monstrous than they are. They feel better then. They find it easier to live.”]

~Geralt of Rivia, The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

Reality is nowhere better off. In a world where demonising can range from the seemingly acceptable to the outright absurd, John finds it a good experience to start writing about the real world in the make-believe format.

On the power level, John has no qualms about saying Aeravor is no Thor or Wonder Woman. In fact, John has no regrets giving Aeravor some crushing, if not humiliating defeats thus far. Whether something like this below will happen remains to be seen.

Gael Kodr

The nice thing about Gael is creating a sane character in an otherwise insane world. Of course, he's an idiot. Everyone thinks this way about him. However, it must be stated that in a world dominated by a morally dysfunctional majority, society needs a whisper of sanity. Never mind that said whisper will be ignored. Gael is that whisper of sanity.

Of course, this is not to say he's 100% sane. In two instances, he revealed himself to be more of an animal than a human being. The first when he defended the honour of three little girls as a little boy. The second being him defending Karen Tenias from a rapist. Ironically, this also shows how humane a bestial man can be compared to those who are... well, more civilised. In the real world where there's no difference between an ape and a naked ape, somebody has to remind the world how low it has stooped. In a fictional world portraying a non-fictional world, Gael is that somebody.

And therein lies the challenge for John: How will he get to develop such a (potentially) wonderful man of a lion? There are three options. Namely, break him, fortify him, or both.

His attitude towards women mirrors that of Jon Snow in the clip above. Ever a gentleman despite his idiocy, it was John's intention to make him somewhat desirable. Looks wise, Gael is no Eden Ang. Accomplishments wise, he's no Jack "not from the city of Swansea" Neo who recently made it to the top 20 popular male artistes list for this year's Star Awards. When it comes to being the underdog/otter, no one does it better than Gael Kodr. With character in abundance and lacking in common sense... this is what a cynic would call an idealist. And yes, Gael is a dreamer. He dreams to be a hero like his idol Ser Brus of Yorke. From this aspect, Gael is Isidro. As a peasant who conducts himself like a knight unlike so many knights acting like peasants, Gael is Jon.

Alestrial Eliaden

No spoilers if any of you is to ask whether Alestrial Eliaden will become a monarch of her own. The only reason why John chooses not to put a Berserk video is that he couldn't find a female character compatible with her. At the same time, Alestrial wasn't inspired by any female character in the series. Instead, she mirrors the characters of Queen Daenerys Targaryen and Queen Artoria Pendragon in the sense that she is intended to be strong-willed and idealistic. This idea was implemented in the original draft and John has no intention to do his own U-turn. If this is to be seen as a spoiler, so be it.

Very little has been revealed so far about her character. Even less than that of Gael. On one hand, that's a source of disappointment for John. On the other hand, however, John knows this can easily play out in his favour. The less being revealed right now, the more will be revealed later. Since the story is far from done, it means John has plenty of time and space to do it.

One key aspect of Alestrial's character lies in the presence of racism. Like in the real world, the fictional world in ARFWP does practice racism. One of the main worries about fictional racism lies in the fact that real-life people are dumb, drunk, and racist. Okay, maybe not drunk. But dumb and racist? You bet. Ironically, writers have no problems using non-human races like elves and dwarves to prove that racism can be done in fiction. But as every otter knows, fact and fiction sometimes aren't too far apart. The whole logic is effectively a case of apes and naked apes.

Suffice to say, Alestrial is a victim of racism. While this has only been touched once or twice, John hopes to deal with it more.

Note: Originally, Alestrial was visually based on Park "definitely a better Park-Choi than the political Park-Choi" Shin-hye. Due to John's need to give some respect, he decided to scrap the idea. So no Dany-Artoria Park from John from now on.