(no subject)
Because I'm a huge fan of medieval settings. Seriously. I love writing about people fighting with swords/axes/staffs/etc rather than indulge in the elaborate game of Gun Fu (non RE-fans need not understand). I would probably incorporate martial arts into any of my gunslingers in any case. XD
Tempted to read Xenophon's treatise on horsemanship so I can better write horseback combat. XD I'm a research fanatic when it comes to minor, irrelevant details. >_> Hehe.
In any case, who wants to see a continuation to RnK: The Musical? Non-H!P fans need not answer. XD
I do wonder what the level of technology is in RnK. They're dressed like musketeers, the soldiers I mean. Haha. But they also use close combat weapons as primaries (halberds, rapiers etc). If there existed guns, that would be highly unwise.
...I know I'm overanalysing, but bear with me anyway.
For my sanity's sake, I'll eliminate all guns from the equation, because I HATE writing about guns. Doing it for AA nearly murdered me (hey, I made Risa a gun fanatic, and Aya uses a gunblade!) with all the research into the history of guns. Not that researching all the different kinds of bladed weapons was any easier, but it was a lot more fun. Haha.
Battle technology...well, I'll stick to good old catapults (I was tempted to type "cattypults", but I suspect no one would get the reference anyhow) and stuff like ballistas and rams for siege warfare. I admit, I stole a lot of ideas for an army's organization from Alexander the Great. Hey, he conquered a huge empire with his army, so he had to be doing something right!
The phalanx would have been outdated or outmoded in RnK, since I strongly suspect that there's a strong European influence to the setting, so the emphasis would be on cavalry instead. The allusions in Tortue's part of the song strongly hints at the presence of cavalry, probably light cavalry (speed, like the wind etc).
Nouveau's part in the song strongly hints at heavy infantry, and had I stuck to having guns in the story, I wouldn't be surprised if its entirely made up of musketeers whose main purpose is to provide a main firing line while the cavalry flanks the enemy and harasses them to prevent the musketeers from being swarmed under. But since I'm not using guns (makes my life so much easier), I'll model Nouveau's units after the Companion cavalry in Alexander's army. That is, elite heavy cavalry. It would make sense. XD
As for Tortue, I'm leaning towards horse archers. Light cavalry armed with bows and sabers. This, I stole after reading about the military aspects of the Crusades. The Turks used it with great effectiveness against the Crusaders, and besides, I like the idea. Hehe. Parthian shot FTW! Probably with some light skirmishers on foot (aka those who can't afford horses XD)
Obviously, the main body of the army would be foot soldiers. Well, they can't ALL be mounted. Have you any idea how expensive it is to maintain that many horses? Besides, it wouldn't be tactically sound either. Probably going to steal concepts from the Roman legions and the Spanish tercio formation during the Middle Ages. Actually, I'm stealing from many different time periods. >_> Gotta make sure I don't make it look too weird. XD
The foot soldiers would probably comprise a combination of crossbowmen and pikemen, with some light infantry to ensure that the pikemen don't get outflanked or harried by skirmishers while they're protecting the ranged troops.
Hmm, I be making them too tactically advanced for their time? XD Don't worry, there's a very half-assed explanation for it, but an explanation nevertheless. XD
Ok, I kinda went into overload on the military fangirliness. But before I move on, let's sum up.
Tortue's troops are the scouts and raiders, they speed across the battlefield to harass the enemy flanks and protect the flanks of the foot soldiers. Nouveau's troops are the trump card that smashes through the enemy lines once the foot soldiers of the main force pin them down in melee combat. Heavy cavalry charges are fun. XD The main force basically lures the enemy in and holds them in place while the cavalry troops decimate them. I have an evil mind. XD
But yeah, the army organization thing is just one of my random irrelevant research points. I just like knowing about the details even if I don't go into a lot of detail about it in the story proper.
So yes, story. xD I blame the Takagaki fans, since they want a Nouveau/Sapphire pairing. It's not entirely unworkable, especially if I adopt the Matsuura version of Franz for canon. Rika's Franz, nice as it is, is more of a soldier and warrior than a prince, if you ask me. Rika REALLY shone when she got together with Risa and Eri to sing Tatakai no Toki. Franz isn't really supposed to be a warlord, I think, but eh. I haven't watched Nacchi's version, but people tell me that Nacchi is a cute Franz. However, I doubt that Franz really is supposed to be like a little boy, so... haha. Aya might have been a little too girly to play a male character, but she's the best flirt out of the three. Seriously. Her Franz comes across most like a loverboy. XDDDD And that works, since traditionally, Franz has never been better than Sapphire at stuff like fighting and the like, and I figured that Aya managed to portray that (unintentionally though, I bet).
More importantly though, Aya's version of Franz, near the end where "he" proposed to a now-female Sapphire for marriage, managed to set off alarm bells in my head. What kind of alarm bells? Basically the kind that says "loving the image and not the person!". Yeah. I'm too cynical to believe in love at first sight, not that it doesn't exist, but I think its too superficial to last. You need to know the person behind the image you first see and love THAT before it will last long. The whole "love at first sight" thing is mostly about appearances, or surface impressions. It won't last without a solid foundation.
So yeah. I highly suspect that Franz doesn't really know about the "real" Sapphire. Sapphire loves Franz though, that I don't doubt, but I wonder if its because Franz is the first good-looking guy who expressed real interest in her when they first meet during the Easter ball....you know, first impressions count. It's not like "Prince" Sapphire has had a lot of experience with guys hitting on "him". XD Inexperience, plus she didn't know any better? I'll bet my two cents on it. XD
And yeah, I don't really believe in happily ever afters either, since everyone has bad days that need to be worked through. I forecast a stormy marriage for Franz and Sapphire. Why so? Let's name a few things to chew on.
1) Sapphire, despite being more attuned to her female side (well she was born with a female body despite having both souls), was raised as a prince, that is, a male. She managed to pull it off for YEARS. And she kicks Franz's butt at just about everything when it comes to being a prince (swordsmanship, intelligence, tactical acumen...). Do you honestly think she's going to be a passive queen and submissive wife to Franz after marriage? Besides, it's a waste to let everything she's learned as a prince to rot away and let her play at being a woman (as much fun as that can be).
2) Franz himself is a typical stubborn male (sorry guys). I strongly suspect that male ego might come into play later when Sapphire obviously is better than him at most things. Unless you actually like having your wife outshine you in just about every aspect possible, I foresee conflict over that. Franz seems like the kind who would keep his princess and wife safely at home while he goes out to fight. I don't think Sapphire would agree to that. XD
3) Can Franz handle Sapphire being more capable than him? I alluded to that in the above points already. Besides, Franz doesn't really know what kind of a person Sapphire is/was. Franz fell in love with the mysterious flaxen-haired girl who danced with him at the Easter ball, and they barely got to talk at all. To be completely honest about what I think, I believe Franz must have been enraptured with the grace and elegant bearing of this beautiful stranger, who is, significantly, NOT after him like a pack of rabid dogs as the other girls were. I think it appeals to the male ego or something. I dunno, for my part I think that if I were used to being chased by girls all the time, if there was one girl who didn't seem to care, I'd be pretty drawn in and intrigued too. It must have been a different experience, and that in itself is the draw. Will Franz fall in love with the Sapphire he eventually marries and gets to know better? Well, Sapphire is easy to love, but I already pointed out potential flash points from the previous two points. Will their relationship survive it?
...well, since I want Nouveau/Sapphire, I elect no. XD
Well, not really. I'm sure Sapphire will try to accommodate to Franz more than the other way round. You know, try to fit into his conception of her as the stereotypical model of wife and consort. The princess that has to be protected. But fricking hell, look at Act I where the Queen and Sapphire were in the garden and the queen was asking her about what the colors of the flowers meant, and she answered so...so...masculinely. XD Even in the semblance of a princess, it's a little difficult to erase years of being trained and raised as a prince, I think.
How to get Nouveau/Sapphire? First, who is Nouveau in Franz's kingdom? We know that he and Tortue are generals in the army. Judging from how Franz had to ask for their names when they appear, we can infer two possible interpretations. One, they aren't very close to the royal family, suggesting a humble birth despite their military ranks as lieutenants/generals. Two, Franz hasn't really been involved with military affairs, at least not with the soldiers themselves. He probably has been learning over tactics and strategy at the top, instead of fraternizing with the common troops. Of course, the fact that Franz had to ask for their names could be seen in the dramatic sense of the musical that the new characters had to be introduced somehow, but let's ignore that for now. XD
Yet, as plausible as that sounds, there's a slight discrepancy (at least to me), when Nouveau says to Franz (who was about to challenge the male Sapphire to a duel to the death) that "they trusted him in whatever he did". It suggests a strong personal connection, although if you wanted to bend it I suppose it could be taken as blind loyalty. >_> XD If I want it to fit my earlier interpretations, I think its more a deep sense of commitment and personal loyalty from Nouveau and Tortue towards the royal family rather than a personal connection with Franz himself.
So what do we have? Nouveau is probably a commoner or someone of low social rank, but high in the military chain of command (well, high enough that he's commanding 30,000 elite troops, which is a lot). It suggests that he worked his way up, and is definitely a military man through and through. I sense a close bond between Nouveau and Tortue, they probably rose through the ranks together or something like that. Nouveau is also impulsive and eager to prove himself in battle, it shows in the lines in Tatakai no Toki, as well as the ensuing dialogue between Franz and his generals. Tortue is more level-headed in comparison, and it backs up my idea that they rose through the ranks together, since Tortue seems like the type who would rein in the more impulsive Nouveau when the latter is about to make reckless decisions, and they balance each other up I guess.
I venture tentatively that Tortue may be a minor nobleman (very very minor), while Nouveau is merely a commoner. It's just a hunch, considering their behavior plus the fact that Tortue was the one who handed his rapier over to Sapphire for the duel. It's something men-at-arms would do, not so much for the lowborn. Nouveau's eagerness to prove himself in battle could be seen as an effort to justify his rank and position, like, you know, he is worthy despite his humble background.
...yes I know I know, over-analyzing. I probably read too much into it, but well, it's this kind of imagination which makes me a marginally good writer with interesting ideas.
Alright then, why would there be any Nouveau/Sapphire? Well, it seems to me that Sapphire seems like the type who would take a personal interest in the common troops. First scene in Act I, Prince Sapphire goes to inspect the troops personally. It suggests to me that she probably takes a deeper interest in military affairs than Franz does. Even after she gets married to Franz, I dunno, maybe she might wander over to the drill grounds just to look at the soldiers and see what they're doing. Old habits die hard, you know.
Nouveau might be reserved in opinion about his new "lady". After all, the first time Nouveau sees Sapphire, she's a he and about to fight his prince to the death. The next time he sees her, she's dying after sacrificing herself for Franz's sake. And then afterwards, she who was a he became a she again (yes I know its confusing) after some fancy soul switching around. You can't blame him for being cautious about her. In any case, he would probably maintain a stern and formally respectful front when dealing with her as his Princess, wife to his Prince. Nouveau seems like the kind to place duty, honor, and responsibility over everything else. Military man, you know.
And the fastest way for Sapphire to impress Nouveau? Best him in combat, duh. Or display good leadership skills in dealing with subordinates. Basically, Sapphire probably has to unconsciously slip back into her princely habits and end up showing off somehow. XD Or maybe display a keen interest and concern for the troops. I'm sure Nouveau would appreciate that, and respect her all the more for it.
I strongly suspect that any kind of relationship they forge in the beginning has a lot to do with 日久生情. That is, they're not going to fall in love straightaway. After all, Sapphire still loves Franz at the beginning, and Nouveau knows his own limits and will not encroach on his lord's wife. I think mutual appreciation will be the best they can get at first. Note I say at first. XD
...I'm probably going to abuse the notion of chivalric love again. Seriously. This is playing out like a bad cliche the further I take it.
Hmm. I can see how it would unfold. I can go for the classic Greek tragedy-type plot device and have everyone misunderstand each other and possible suicides coming into play (ok, TOO many romantic cliches). You probably know I'm not gonna do that. >D
There's the illicit love affair thing, which I may do on a whim, but that cheapens the whole relationship I think.
Then there's the "let's runaway together" plot device, which is so badly overused that it might just break if I try it here.
Of course, then there are courtly romance cliches, which I'm sorely tempted to use. >_> XD
Haha, so many options. But it's gonna be Takagaki in the form of Nouveau/Sapphire. Haha. Take what you can get, folks!
Alright, sleeping now.
Tempted to read Xenophon's treatise on horsemanship so I can better write horseback combat. XD I'm a research fanatic when it comes to minor, irrelevant details. >_> Hehe.
In any case, who wants to see a continuation to RnK: The Musical? Non-H!P fans need not answer. XD
I do wonder what the level of technology is in RnK. They're dressed like musketeers, the soldiers I mean. Haha. But they also use close combat weapons as primaries (halberds, rapiers etc). If there existed guns, that would be highly unwise.
...I know I'm overanalysing, but bear with me anyway.
For my sanity's sake, I'll eliminate all guns from the equation, because I HATE writing about guns. Doing it for AA nearly murdered me (hey, I made Risa a gun fanatic, and Aya uses a gunblade!) with all the research into the history of guns. Not that researching all the different kinds of bladed weapons was any easier, but it was a lot more fun. Haha.
Battle technology...well, I'll stick to good old catapults (I was tempted to type "cattypults", but I suspect no one would get the reference anyhow) and stuff like ballistas and rams for siege warfare. I admit, I stole a lot of ideas for an army's organization from Alexander the Great. Hey, he conquered a huge empire with his army, so he had to be doing something right!
The phalanx would have been outdated or outmoded in RnK, since I strongly suspect that there's a strong European influence to the setting, so the emphasis would be on cavalry instead. The allusions in Tortue's part of the song strongly hints at the presence of cavalry, probably light cavalry (speed, like the wind etc).
Nouveau's part in the song strongly hints at heavy infantry, and had I stuck to having guns in the story, I wouldn't be surprised if its entirely made up of musketeers whose main purpose is to provide a main firing line while the cavalry flanks the enemy and harasses them to prevent the musketeers from being swarmed under. But since I'm not using guns (makes my life so much easier), I'll model Nouveau's units after the Companion cavalry in Alexander's army. That is, elite heavy cavalry. It would make sense. XD
As for Tortue, I'm leaning towards horse archers. Light cavalry armed with bows and sabers. This, I stole after reading about the military aspects of the Crusades. The Turks used it with great effectiveness against the Crusaders, and besides, I like the idea. Hehe. Parthian shot FTW! Probably with some light skirmishers on foot (aka those who can't afford horses XD)
Obviously, the main body of the army would be foot soldiers. Well, they can't ALL be mounted. Have you any idea how expensive it is to maintain that many horses? Besides, it wouldn't be tactically sound either. Probably going to steal concepts from the Roman legions and the Spanish tercio formation during the Middle Ages. Actually, I'm stealing from many different time periods. >_> Gotta make sure I don't make it look too weird. XD
The foot soldiers would probably comprise a combination of crossbowmen and pikemen, with some light infantry to ensure that the pikemen don't get outflanked or harried by skirmishers while they're protecting the ranged troops.
Hmm, I be making them too tactically advanced for their time? XD Don't worry, there's a very half-assed explanation for it, but an explanation nevertheless. XD
Ok, I kinda went into overload on the military fangirliness. But before I move on, let's sum up.
Tortue's troops are the scouts and raiders, they speed across the battlefield to harass the enemy flanks and protect the flanks of the foot soldiers. Nouveau's troops are the trump card that smashes through the enemy lines once the foot soldiers of the main force pin them down in melee combat. Heavy cavalry charges are fun. XD The main force basically lures the enemy in and holds them in place while the cavalry troops decimate them. I have an evil mind. XD
But yeah, the army organization thing is just one of my random irrelevant research points. I just like knowing about the details even if I don't go into a lot of detail about it in the story proper.
So yes, story. xD I blame the Takagaki fans, since they want a Nouveau/Sapphire pairing. It's not entirely unworkable, especially if I adopt the Matsuura version of Franz for canon. Rika's Franz, nice as it is, is more of a soldier and warrior than a prince, if you ask me. Rika REALLY shone when she got together with Risa and Eri to sing Tatakai no Toki. Franz isn't really supposed to be a warlord, I think, but eh. I haven't watched Nacchi's version, but people tell me that Nacchi is a cute Franz. However, I doubt that Franz really is supposed to be like a little boy, so... haha. Aya might have been a little too girly to play a male character, but she's the best flirt out of the three. Seriously. Her Franz comes across most like a loverboy. XDDDD And that works, since traditionally, Franz has never been better than Sapphire at stuff like fighting and the like, and I figured that Aya managed to portray that (unintentionally though, I bet).
More importantly though, Aya's version of Franz, near the end where "he" proposed to a now-female Sapphire for marriage, managed to set off alarm bells in my head. What kind of alarm bells? Basically the kind that says "loving the image and not the person!". Yeah. I'm too cynical to believe in love at first sight, not that it doesn't exist, but I think its too superficial to last. You need to know the person behind the image you first see and love THAT before it will last long. The whole "love at first sight" thing is mostly about appearances, or surface impressions. It won't last without a solid foundation.
So yeah. I highly suspect that Franz doesn't really know about the "real" Sapphire. Sapphire loves Franz though, that I don't doubt, but I wonder if its because Franz is the first good-looking guy who expressed real interest in her when they first meet during the Easter ball....you know, first impressions count. It's not like "Prince" Sapphire has had a lot of experience with guys hitting on "him". XD Inexperience, plus she didn't know any better? I'll bet my two cents on it. XD
And yeah, I don't really believe in happily ever afters either, since everyone has bad days that need to be worked through. I forecast a stormy marriage for Franz and Sapphire. Why so? Let's name a few things to chew on.
1) Sapphire, despite being more attuned to her female side (well she was born with a female body despite having both souls), was raised as a prince, that is, a male. She managed to pull it off for YEARS. And she kicks Franz's butt at just about everything when it comes to being a prince (swordsmanship, intelligence, tactical acumen...). Do you honestly think she's going to be a passive queen and submissive wife to Franz after marriage? Besides, it's a waste to let everything she's learned as a prince to rot away and let her play at being a woman (as much fun as that can be).
2) Franz himself is a typical stubborn male (sorry guys). I strongly suspect that male ego might come into play later when Sapphire obviously is better than him at most things. Unless you actually like having your wife outshine you in just about every aspect possible, I foresee conflict over that. Franz seems like the kind who would keep his princess and wife safely at home while he goes out to fight. I don't think Sapphire would agree to that. XD
3) Can Franz handle Sapphire being more capable than him? I alluded to that in the above points already. Besides, Franz doesn't really know what kind of a person Sapphire is/was. Franz fell in love with the mysterious flaxen-haired girl who danced with him at the Easter ball, and they barely got to talk at all. To be completely honest about what I think, I believe Franz must have been enraptured with the grace and elegant bearing of this beautiful stranger, who is, significantly, NOT after him like a pack of rabid dogs as the other girls were. I think it appeals to the male ego or something. I dunno, for my part I think that if I were used to being chased by girls all the time, if there was one girl who didn't seem to care, I'd be pretty drawn in and intrigued too. It must have been a different experience, and that in itself is the draw. Will Franz fall in love with the Sapphire he eventually marries and gets to know better? Well, Sapphire is easy to love, but I already pointed out potential flash points from the previous two points. Will their relationship survive it?
...well, since I want Nouveau/Sapphire, I elect no. XD
Well, not really. I'm sure Sapphire will try to accommodate to Franz more than the other way round. You know, try to fit into his conception of her as the stereotypical model of wife and consort. The princess that has to be protected. But fricking hell, look at Act I where the Queen and Sapphire were in the garden and the queen was asking her about what the colors of the flowers meant, and she answered so...so...masculinely. XD Even in the semblance of a princess, it's a little difficult to erase years of being trained and raised as a prince, I think.
How to get Nouveau/Sapphire? First, who is Nouveau in Franz's kingdom? We know that he and Tortue are generals in the army. Judging from how Franz had to ask for their names when they appear, we can infer two possible interpretations. One, they aren't very close to the royal family, suggesting a humble birth despite their military ranks as lieutenants/generals. Two, Franz hasn't really been involved with military affairs, at least not with the soldiers themselves. He probably has been learning over tactics and strategy at the top, instead of fraternizing with the common troops. Of course, the fact that Franz had to ask for their names could be seen in the dramatic sense of the musical that the new characters had to be introduced somehow, but let's ignore that for now. XD
Yet, as plausible as that sounds, there's a slight discrepancy (at least to me), when Nouveau says to Franz (who was about to challenge the male Sapphire to a duel to the death) that "they trusted him in whatever he did". It suggests a strong personal connection, although if you wanted to bend it I suppose it could be taken as blind loyalty. >_> XD If I want it to fit my earlier interpretations, I think its more a deep sense of commitment and personal loyalty from Nouveau and Tortue towards the royal family rather than a personal connection with Franz himself.
So what do we have? Nouveau is probably a commoner or someone of low social rank, but high in the military chain of command (well, high enough that he's commanding 30,000 elite troops, which is a lot). It suggests that he worked his way up, and is definitely a military man through and through. I sense a close bond between Nouveau and Tortue, they probably rose through the ranks together or something like that. Nouveau is also impulsive and eager to prove himself in battle, it shows in the lines in Tatakai no Toki, as well as the ensuing dialogue between Franz and his generals. Tortue is more level-headed in comparison, and it backs up my idea that they rose through the ranks together, since Tortue seems like the type who would rein in the more impulsive Nouveau when the latter is about to make reckless decisions, and they balance each other up I guess.
I venture tentatively that Tortue may be a minor nobleman (very very minor), while Nouveau is merely a commoner. It's just a hunch, considering their behavior plus the fact that Tortue was the one who handed his rapier over to Sapphire for the duel. It's something men-at-arms would do, not so much for the lowborn. Nouveau's eagerness to prove himself in battle could be seen as an effort to justify his rank and position, like, you know, he is worthy despite his humble background.
...yes I know I know, over-analyzing. I probably read too much into it, but well, it's this kind of imagination which makes me a marginally good writer with interesting ideas.
Alright then, why would there be any Nouveau/Sapphire? Well, it seems to me that Sapphire seems like the type who would take a personal interest in the common troops. First scene in Act I, Prince Sapphire goes to inspect the troops personally. It suggests to me that she probably takes a deeper interest in military affairs than Franz does. Even after she gets married to Franz, I dunno, maybe she might wander over to the drill grounds just to look at the soldiers and see what they're doing. Old habits die hard, you know.
Nouveau might be reserved in opinion about his new "lady". After all, the first time Nouveau sees Sapphire, she's a he and about to fight his prince to the death. The next time he sees her, she's dying after sacrificing herself for Franz's sake. And then afterwards, she who was a he became a she again (yes I know its confusing) after some fancy soul switching around. You can't blame him for being cautious about her. In any case, he would probably maintain a stern and formally respectful front when dealing with her as his Princess, wife to his Prince. Nouveau seems like the kind to place duty, honor, and responsibility over everything else. Military man, you know.
And the fastest way for Sapphire to impress Nouveau? Best him in combat, duh. Or display good leadership skills in dealing with subordinates. Basically, Sapphire probably has to unconsciously slip back into her princely habits and end up showing off somehow. XD Or maybe display a keen interest and concern for the troops. I'm sure Nouveau would appreciate that, and respect her all the more for it.
I strongly suspect that any kind of relationship they forge in the beginning has a lot to do with 日久生情. That is, they're not going to fall in love straightaway. After all, Sapphire still loves Franz at the beginning, and Nouveau knows his own limits and will not encroach on his lord's wife. I think mutual appreciation will be the best they can get at first. Note I say at first. XD
...I'm probably going to abuse the notion of chivalric love again. Seriously. This is playing out like a bad cliche the further I take it.
Hmm. I can see how it would unfold. I can go for the classic Greek tragedy-type plot device and have everyone misunderstand each other and possible suicides coming into play (ok, TOO many romantic cliches). You probably know I'm not gonna do that. >D
There's the illicit love affair thing, which I may do on a whim, but that cheapens the whole relationship I think.
Then there's the "let's runaway together" plot device, which is so badly overused that it might just break if I try it here.
Of course, then there are courtly romance cliches, which I'm sorely tempted to use. >_> XD
Haha, so many options. But it's gonna be Takagaki in the form of Nouveau/Sapphire. Haha. Take what you can get, folks!
Alright, sleeping now.