#after my exploding candle episode i realized perhaps these would do well

[lovebykai]

Staring at the wax pod containers as if they hold all the answers today. Guess I'll start by making some Mikey and Sanzu ones. 🧍🏻‍♀️

[shy-magpie]

RQG 156

live blog under the cut

Heads up about half way through I realized I go a bit further into analysis on where Zolf & the Kobolds are mentally than some people might be comfortable with. Just as they trust us to back off if the episode gets to real, I am trusting you to close the tab if my little live blog is hitting you wrong. If it makes a difference I have years between me and the reason I relate to this stuff.

"In Memorium" they are trying to kill us Ah they lampshaded the speed intros Yes Alex it is rather Paris Right to Azu & Zolf. Oh he's jumping right in. And there's my first pause of the episode. No “better” isn't a magic finish line you pass then never find yourself in that place again. No, knowing that doesn't mean you don't wonder if your back at square one every time you realize You Are In A Bad Place and Not Handling it Well. Gosh Azu is good at this. Yeah learning to walk away is hard. Learning to ignore the part of yourself that says "and never come back for their sake" is harder. Symbolic much Alex (Zolf is too small for the room, Azu is too large) Yeah it would be easier to not blame Zolf for last episode if I related to him a bit less. Okay they are talking about Hamid and their concerns for him directly. Yeah Hamid's relationship with power & privilege is an arc; and without the Doylist level of trusting Bryn & Alex, I can see where even if you trust/like him you'd be worried about it. With the best of intentions people misuse power. Azu quoted Grizzop at Zolf. Didn't name him, wonder if Zolf is ever going ask directly about his replacement in canon or if its best left to fic. Its easy to dismiss one's own successes. Okay fair and OW, Zolf isn't up to talking about Sasha; which is the part of this I was most prepared for. Hell yeah! He is coming down but not going to be attempting to lead so as to relieve pressure on himself. Maybe if he can let Hamid step up without making a Kew Garden thing he'll see how much he's grown. Hopefully without that setting off a "Hamid does better without me" thing. Yeah intellectual knowledge and it feeling real on an emotional level are very different things. Alex, why does it matter what order they are in? ALEX? The necklace? The Heart of Aphrodite shaped necklace? Azu got a Sign from Aphrodite approving of her reaching out to Zolf as an act of love. Yes! Blue Black no take backs! Yeah those two (players) know exactly what they are doing: breaking my heart in the best ways and not skipping over the actual work those two (characters) need to put into their relationship with OOC "its all fine now"s. Ok that settles the timeline, Azu went up same night, the device isn't made yet. Yeah Zolf wouldn't, probably best to back off while things are tender while being present enough to assure he isn't planning on leaving. Seriously bless Azu, this has to be at least as hard on her as Helen but she is letting the boys have room to work it out for themselves instead of "trying to help". The last thing either of them need right now is pressure especially on this point. Aw the Kobolds teach Cel draconic. Oh smart kid, not only is it just logical for the Kobolds to work with Cel directly, it might help them get over the "looking to see if the boss approves of how you breathe" stage. Especially if he is clear about not being threatened by them having advantage over him in this area. Heck of a relief this isn't hitting my rank issues. Ooh all the Kobolds are amazing engineers, wonder if its a Kobold thing or if Skraak recruited people with similar interests. Nice rework of the "Kobolds build traps" thing from pathfinder. I genuinely love how instead of pitching the original description of Kobolds out the window, Alex has backwards engineered it. Reputation for traps isn't a dishonorable approach to fighting, its a sign of their skill. They aren't minions, their trauma is interacting with a cultural attitude about rank in weird ways. Oh Cel! Cel is amazing. Under Shoin's orders they: made Magic Steroids, did maintenance (more towards the end as Shoin wasn't taking care of things), built the place initially, sourced ingredients, other Kobolds built the Mechkraken. Damn Shoin, they can't even be proud of all they were able to do in adverse circumstances because he tainted it. If they weren't forced to do it and have it used for ill ends, building the kraken would be impressive. A lot of that sounds like difficult work. Hamid stuff: yeah it is from a place of fear; and they would be hypersensitive and need to try to "defend him" so he doesn't react. Terrified of his anger? Handle anything that even annoys him to cut it off at the pass. And being a good person who doesn't like scaring them, Hamid is going to over do the very "Mary Sunshine" routine that makes Zolf think he doesn't appreciate the gravity of the situation. You'd think Mr "do a grief later" would get that Hamid doesn't have to walk the halls wailing to be aware of the end of the world. Not that the kid can win, if he cried and threw up it would be proof he hasn't grown from season one. Hopefully by taking a back seat Zolf will have a chance to see Hamid's actions and realize being chipper & wholesome doesn't mean stupid. Oh Alex has thought this through, one of these days I'll quit being surprised he actually gets this stuff. Not being able to read the person whose emotions feel like life & death is a Bad Thing. Thank Alex for Skraak. Weird seeing this stuff from this side, of course learning to focus on my end instead of being preoccupied with what was going on in the heads of people who were on Hamid's end of it was rather the point. Perfect balance, Hamid gives them enough space to realize he isn’t going to explode, Skraak "translates" into something clear enough not to stress them out. Like when Zolf snapped at Skraak when he pledged to Hamid; might not be pretty but not knowing what The Powers That Be want? Very bad place. Rank and clear orders are very important when appeasing those who outrank you is everything. Cel has dealt with a lot of young and unsure apprentices!?! Yeah well Cel isn't in their chain of command and gears don't get offended if you have an opinion on the right way to configure them. Cel is great Azu & Hamid talking about Zolf! Helen is wonderful! I thought this was going to be drawn out and indirect, instead they are actually facing things head on and dealing with them. Aw these two are so good for each other. Azu would set aside her own emotions. Hot damn Azu, getting right to it! Hamid can be amazingly open about his self awareness and it surprises me every time. It fits him and is a very good thing, but going from answering "how are you?" with "the Kobolds are doing well" to "I never knew how to help him" without it being jarring made me do quite the double take. Guess I was expecting more deflection. Yeah well you two are redefining your boundaries, entire relationship, and rank in specific, while being the perhaps the only people with enough of the picture to figure out how to save the world. Working out the balance between conflicting views on that, when neither of you knows what the end will look like was never going to be smooth. Oh yes and none of you have directly addressed that half of Zolf's rank & dick measuring stuff is because he doesn't know if he even has a role if he isn't The Boss or The Healer.* Oh the grin in Alex's voice as he tells them there is something else before the brorb interview. Whisky tumblers for each? Quite a sigh there Ben News? Big news? While they were in the institute? They ought to sit down. Wilde get to it. Ah Azu & Hamid are holding hands. Poor kid with his prop. Letter? Ancient Rome? Sasha? Are all the fics coming true? Their founder "Askingus"!?! Oh Sasha, oh Zolf! Lydia! Oh the kids! She named the kids after the party. She even found her faith. A break? How the hell are we only half way through the episode. Also hell yeah Lydia deserves all the awards, that was an amazing letter. XD Ben! Oh Hamid, we reacted that way to the epilogue that way too. It really is okay, it was a good end. Yeah he could use a drink. Poor Zolf. Hamid gives Wilde a hug. "technically I think that makes Sasha my boss". XP be cryptic Alex, The RSB will have it figured out by Friday. Ok Zolf got to read the letter on his own. Azu lit 3 candles, because Helen wants me to cry. Hamid is at Zolf's door with a bottle and two glasses. Lydia this is a compliment to your skill. More direct than I expected from Hamid. Oh these two! Okay he is drunk enough to go there (angry at Zolf for leaving but he gets it). About time someone told Zolf directly he's grown. Aw Zolf puts him to bed. Thank you Alex! Ben! (okay fair, if any of Hamid was left he'd cuddle). Sorry Cel! Lydia wanted to break/heal our hearts more than she wanted the plot to move forward ;) Good plan: take the orb to the anti magic field, only those who have already talked to it can talk directly. Info control. Hive mind/telepathy directly addressed. Finally what Shoin eats is addressed. Ok Cel has some teeth on them. Hasn't fed it, is using the vibration to threaten to explode his brain, (no English doesn't have enough pronouns we are working on it)... Oh good point better feed it. Aw Zolf is possessive of the kitchen. Shoin is still Shoin. Cel is not happy about not being recognized. Nice to hear the boys working together. The Infection might block him from being directly aware of  being infected. Bullsh$% he backed himself up. Good point Zolf even if he does, they are separate lives, this instance can still fear death. Oh all the party have teeth, nice they don't have the "good guys have to be sweet & gentle with the baddies" thing Yeah Cel isn't stupid, the brorbs arm isn't a threat. Oh auto painting that will make the people theorizing on the bio side of how the Brorb works happy. A circulatory diagram, and am ocean of faces. Paints like a printer. A creepy charcoal sketch of London staring at the artist. *I swear on Rusty Tower if they let him hurt himself any worse because he thinks his new role is "a brick wall on wheels" I am joining the line to fight Ben in a Whetherspoons parking lot. Yes it would be in character but so would healing. There are other hills. Although seriously its been great having a character that shows so many of the aspects of depression that usually get left out. That Zolf is also a three dimensional character with a full personality beyond just "the one with mental health issues" while not making it look like those issues are tacked on or easy to handle? Stunning work.  

[analysis-by-vaylon]

The limits of violence: why Toffee won’t be defeated through force alone.

In this analysis, I'll talk about the fight against Toffee in "Starcrushed," compare it to "Storm the Castle" and "Into the Wand," and discuss the implications of this comparison. This will be the first of two analyses I have planned for the season two finale. The second analysis will discuss the finale's contrast between Moon and Star and include a breakdown of the narrative structure of both episodes. (The number of analyses may change based on whether or not I notice anything new between now and then.)

Since "Starcrushed" is still fresh in all our minds, let's first go all the way back to the season one finale, "Storm the Castle."

Re-watching "Storm the Castle"

Star rushes into Ludo's castle to rescue Marco, who is kidnapped by Toffee. Do you recall how Star handles the fight against Toffee?:

Star: Marco! Here's the plan: we're going in on the count of one. Buff Frog: That is not good plan. [Star racks her wand like a shotgun.] Star: One. Buff Frog: No, wait, stop.

Nearly everything in this scene is suggestive of modern weaponry -- of a SWAT raid, in fact: Star rushes into the room, filling it with smoke like a smoke bomb, and immediately blasts Toffee's arm off. Star tries to break open the crystal prison with a spell resembling timed explosive devices and again with a spell resembling a rocket-propelled grenade. Both of these fail. Even the chainsaw gag reinforces the idea of modern weapons. The modern weaponry is, I think, reflective of Star's youthful impetuousness, but keep it in mind.

Finally, Star dips down and breaks open the crystal prison -- only for it to grow back nearly instantly. Then, only moments afterwards, we see Toffee's arm grow back as well. I think this episode is making a comparison between the crystal prison and Toffee himself: Marco tries to attack Toffee but only ends up punching the crystal, both the crystal and Toffee are a similar shade of green, and both grow back after being destroyed. In fact, Toffee says:

That won't work again. That crystal's twice as strong now.

It's not hard to imagine that Toffee might well be talking about himself: a trick used on him once won't work again; he'll be ready the second time. Try to destroy Toffee as much as you like, but he always grows back.

Indeed, though at first it seems the wand's explosion completely destroys Toffee, we later discover he is still very much alive, and this was all simply part of his plan. This is the first time we see on-screen that violence fails against Toffee.

"Into the Wand" and History

With "Into the Wand," Star travels into her memories stored in the wand and finds the Grandma Room, where we first learn that Queen Moon fought Toffee in battle at some point in the past. The inscription beneath her tapestry reads:

The immortal monster will long be haunted by the darkest spell of Moon the Undaunted

Moon's "darkest spell" is how Toffee lost his finger -- yet the true implication of this scene is that not even Moon's magic at the peak of its power appears to have stopped Toffee in the slightest, since he later returns in Ludo's employ in "Fortune Cookies." This is the second time we learn that violence fails to stop Toffee.

The Fight in "Starcrushed"

We aren't shown Toffee's re-possession of Ludo, but here's what I think happens: out of sympathy, Moon tries to comfort Ludo -- perhaps with a pat on the head or some similar gesture -- and, as soon as she is within reach, Toffee resumes control of Ludo's body, drains Moon, and takes back the wand. Toffee waits to strike until his victim is alone and vulnerable (a tactic we see in "Marco Grows a Beard," with Star and the wand separated; in "Storm the Castle," with Marco's kidnapping; and in "Bon Bon the Birthday Clown," with the attack in the graveyard).

The Magic High Commission return just in time to see Toffee graft his arm to Ludo's body, and the fight begins. The fight is entirely one-sided, with Toffee weathering, deflecting, or repelling every attack. By the time Moon is revived, Toffee has enough power to deflect her attacks as well, leading to, once again, a decisive victory for Toffee.

Tying It All Together

I think it's important to note the kind of fighting that happens in the fight scene in "Starcrushed." If "Storm the Castle" was suggestive of modern combat, then "Starcrushed" makes use of high-fantasy medieval combat -- which befits the contrast between the younger Star and the older Moon and Magic High Commission:

Omnitraxus Prime briefly threatens Toffee with fisticuffs.

Hekapoo wields her scissors as daggers and attempts to use her magic to simply multiply her force.

Rhombulus tries to attack Toffee with his fists as well as with crystals. While this briefly distracts Toffee, it doesn't stop him.

Note that, like the Magic High Commission, Moon -- despite being probably the most-proficient magic-user present -- uses her magic in uncomplicated, violent ways: she launches magic at Toffee, tries to grapple him, and duels him with a sword. You might even say that her violence is surprisingly uncreative. I bring this up because the show wants us to realize this contrast between Moon and Star -- a contrast it shows us proof of immediately, for what is the very next scene after the fight with Toffee? It's Star, and she's casting a spell:

[Cut to a close-up of the wand.] Oskar: So you just say stuff and magic comes out? Star: Yeah, pretty much. I've even been creating my own spells. Wanna see? Oskar: Yeah, I'd be honored. Star: Okay, I haven't practiced this one too much, so if your body explodes -- whoopsie-doopsies! (laughs) That's a little magic joke for you. Oskar: Oh. (laughs nervously) Star: Okay. Sparkle Kitten Fireworks Shower! [Chaos ensues.]

The reason this scene is important is twofold: not only does it show us, through comparison, what the fight with Toffee was missing -- Star's unexpected creativity -- it also brings back to the forefront an idea that has been explicitly spelled out throughout the series: Star doesn't play by the rules; she uses her imagination. Remember what Tom and Marco say in "Mr. Candle Cares":

Marco: Hey. Isn't this ... kind of cheating? Tom: You think this is cheating? You should try playing Star at ping-pong. Marco: Well, Star doesn't really cheat. She just makes up her own rules. Tom: And then she changes the rules again halfway through the game. Marco: Oh... so that's why I never win. Tom: She just does whatever she wants. Marco: Yeah, that's Star. Tom: Yeah. She is kinda awesome.

And recall the conversation between Ludo and Glossaryck in "The Hard Way":

Ludo: So when am I going to learn a Narwhal Blast? Pshew! Pshew! Pshew! Glossaryck: Oh, oh. Oh, that. Yes, well, mm-hmm. You see, Star made that up. It's not in the book. She just used her imagination for most things. Ludo: Ooh, what's an ima-gi-na-tion?

No normal person would ever think to combine kittens with fireworks -- but Star does, and that's the real point of that scene with Oskar. Star's ability with magic is limited only by her technical proficiency and her imagination. Whereas Moon was almost certainly a more-diligent student of magic than Star is -- Star doesn't need the book. Star writes her own spells; she doesn't play by the rules.

Star uses magic in ways other people don't think to use it.

Star solves her problems in unorthodox and creative ways.

Star, Moon, and the Magic High Commission all fail to truly defeat Toffee because they played by the rules: they tried to use violence against Toffee in combat -- when Toffee is clearly superior at wielding and withstanding violence. Toffee cannot be beaten with violence.

Thematic Implications

As an immortal lizard and cynical manipulator, Toffee is comparable to a number of other mythical characters. I think though, broadly speaking, he represents the spirit of destruction: the dark impulse to extinguish life and happiness. Trying to destroy the spirit of destruction with violence only adds to it. And, appropriately enough, he is opposed by the spirit of creation as embodied in Star. It’s Star’s creativity that will be Toffee’s undoing.

Nor, as some may suggest, is love the solution to beating Toffee: thanks to the events of "Storm the Castle," Toffee is now fully aware of love as a motivating force in getting Star to dip down, and "Fortune Cookies" toys with -- and ultimately rejects, thanks to Toffee's cynical deployment of it -- the notion of love being a solution to the endless cycle of fighting.

No, the key weapon in truly defeating Toffee is imagination: it's the one thing he is not -- cannot be -- prepared for. And Star is the only person who can wield it. If she realizes this and cultivates it, she will be far more dangerous to Toffee than he could ever possibly realize.

I hope you enjoyed reading this analysis. As I mentioned earlier, I'll be posting at least one other analysis of the finale soon; I'd also like to post an analysis of the book once my copy arrives. (I would highly recommend buying a copy for yourself -- it's a really good price for a hardcover, and you'd help support the show by buying it!) Please feel free to send me asks of things you’d like to see analyzed from the show.