All Comments on 'Pairs of Pumpkins #10: The Embrace of Disgrace 02'

Art imitates life, and sometimes the lag on that imitation makes it better art: in many ways this read like a send-up of the deluge of quarantine stories back in the nadir, while actually managing to give the cabin fever tangible weight. Having an eye for the pedantic, I'm quite fascinated that this high fantasy world is advanced enough for virology to be a thing and prudent enough to have developed the equivalent of hazmat suits. Whatever this plague is, it does -not- seem wholly natural.

I retract my previous comment: Jasper is a horrible influence. XD Aside from passing remarks in some of my own works, there is only one other story I've read where the characters -literally- glue together from their mess, and even then that was within realistic parameters. This chapter was a ride to say the least, and while I perhaps lament some of Portia's conclusions, this is shaping up to be... maybe THE best series in terms of deep-diving the theme. I don't know if you're making deliberate satire, but Jasper reminds me all too vividly of several dozen evangelizing commenters on this site. ;P

On the flip side, he's also a surprisingly grounded demonstration of how sheltered nobility can fuck up your psyche, and Portia's crash course on Not Being a Metaphorical Dick goes to show that deep down, she's a proper mother after all. ;)

There you are! Thanks for another kind and insightful comment. I look forward to them with each new story and they are always a delight to read from you.

Maybe obviously, this story has been planned since mid 2020. I just had to finish episodes 8 and 9 to get there (with a little bit of foreshadowing along the way.)

I haven't presented TOO much on the world lore but it's not meant to be the filth and squalor of low fantasy/Dark Ages Europe but something a little more sophisticated. Maybe in Season 2, I'll need to tip my hand more about how magic works, now that Ana is in the picture.

Good observations on Jasper. I would not call him a parody but he's certainly a whiny, entitled, self-centered, teenage boy unaware of his own privilege, and there is ample source material on the internet for that.

Jasper certainly needed the role model, and Portia needed the parenting practice.