I love a good trend

[Wyl Staedtler]

Assssk, my pretties, ask. Maybe prodding the roots will stimulate the writing tree to grow again! :ohno

[Captain Untouchable]

:glomp

HAHA! No one expects the Spanish Inquisition! :pirate

Well, except that you probably did, since you invited questions. And I'm British, not Spanish. And I have no idea what the Spanish Inquisition has to do with pirates. But still!


First salvo! What happened to Oa, after Mandan left to go to Ord Ithil with Inyos? How did we get from just pregnant Oa to eight-year-old Wyl? Also, does Wyl know who his father is, do you think? Did Oa ever tell him about Mandan and Inyos, as bed time stories or anything like that?

Second wave! Cambrio and Vittore are obviously <s>shameless ripoffs</s> homages to the Winchester boys. Aside from the obvious though... what in your mind sets Cambrio apart from Sam? Also, having read the Montegue: Origins saga, and knowing what happens in Revelations... I obviously couldn't tell much of the Cambrio side of that story. How did he feel about the whole thing - meeting his mother, getting "posessed", finding out about his Force potential? How has that changed him, and also his opinions regarding his father? Hell, what are his opinions regarding his father, after all that, his incarceration - how did it feel for him to see his father broken? Lastly, how does Cambrio feel towards Inyos? Does he hate him as the man who killed his mother... or does he perhaps feel differently - perhaps a little empathy? - having shared the experience of "posession"?


More to follow, in a relentless assault until you start posting again. :shakefist

[Lilaena De'Ville]

What was the original concept behind Lywellyn Voss? I was/am very curious as to her back story. And of course would love to have her run into Ecks again, I thought they made a great study in opposites as companions. :)

[Wyl Staedtler]

1a) What happened to Oa, after Mandan left to go to Ord Ithil with Inyos? How did we get from just pregnant Oa to eight-year-old Wyl? b) Also, does Wyl know who his father is, do you think? Did Oa ever tell him about Mandan and Inyos, as bed time stories or anything like that?


1a) Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much... ;)

In all seriousness, however; before she and Mandan were involved romantically, Oa was something of a reckless freedom fighter. Reeling after the loss of not only her father and closest friends but the only way of life she'd ever known, she was bound and determined to do whatever it was she could to hurt the Empire's influence. Youth and anger are a dangerous combination however, and they manifested themselves in a string of demonstratively impressive but ultimately ineffective sabotage movements. Gradually over time and with gained experience, her efforts became more subtle, eventually leading to her contact with and aiding of the Rebellion.

So by the time she eventually settled back on Coruscant - the place she'd avoided for many years - she'd gotten the initial violent 'fight' out of her system and wanted more; she'd always loved children and had worked with the young initiates at the Temple, so when she finally allowed herself to consider a larger life, the first thing she decided on was having a child. I don't think she ever expected to father said child with a Jedi, just like she didn't expect there to be a meaningful relationship, but she absolutely had every intention of becoming a mother and leading a quieter life.

(You can read snatches of some of this here (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?t=13679).)

That being said, Wyl certainly wasn't a planned pregnancy. Oa found out shortly after Mandan and Inyos left. When it became clear they weren't returning (and I think they both knew, subconsciously, that it would at least be a very long while before they saw one another again), she left for Ansion (where she'd resided previously.) I don't know if her original intent was to return to Coruscant or not but the birth of her son only emphasized to her the importance of fighting the good fight, if you will, and when he was a few months old she went back and began actively harboring Jedi until arrangements could be made for their offworld transportation.

b) Wyl was never told who his father was. While perhaps not the right choice, Oa thought it was safer. And selfishly, I think she wanted to keep those memories to herself.


Second wave! 2a) Cambrio and Vittore are obviously <s>shameless ripoffs</s> homages to the Winchester boys. Aside from the obvious though... what in your mind sets Cambrio apart from Sam? 2b) Also, having read the Montegue: Origins saga, and knowing what happens in Revelations... I obviously couldn't tell much of the Cambrio side of that story. How did he feel about the whole thing - meeting his mother, getting "posessed", finding out about his Force potential? How has that changed him, and also his opinions regarding his father? 2c) Hell, what are his opinions regarding his father, after all that, his incarceration - how did it feel for him to see his father broken? 2d) Lastly, how does Cambrio feel towards Inyos? Does he hate him as the man who killed his mother... or does he perhaps feel differently - perhaps a little empathy? - having shared the experience of "posession"?

2a) I think one of the major differences between Sam Winchester and Cambrio Montegue lies in the way they view a major aspect of their lives: the hunt.

While Sam has never made it a secret that he wouldn't have chosen the sort of life he was dealt, underneath that bitchiness I've always gotten the impression that there was an uncertainty towards whether or not what they were doing was right. I certainly think he understood the necessity for it; but Sam Winchester, especially in the early seasons (which is the character template I'd base a comparison on) has an insuperable need to dissect and weigh the ethical implications of everything. His career choice and strict condemnation of his father's choices are telling; there is Right and Wrong and any 'grey areas' can (and ought to be) be divided into those two categories. Growing up, I don't think he ever felt comfortable with the fact that they acted as vigilantes and his resentment at not being able to live within societal bounds - the Right - drove him to revere that and, eventually, pursue it.

Cambrio, on the other hand, has never questioned the moral implications of what his family does. He believes with every bone in body that what they are doing is right. But he has never thought that it was necessary for them to do it. His family has been through enough and in his mind the tragedies which sent Hugo on his journey for revenge (redemption?) and the knowledge that that journey provided them with didn't implicate an obligation to prevent it from happening to anyone else. Would it have been the right thing to do? It certainly would have been noble and Cambrio would even go so far as to suppose that it is the ‘right’ choice. But it also meant that the Montegues had a very splintered, nomadic life that was incredibly dysfunctional and he considers it to be a frustrating, unnecessary fate. There's a fine line between selfishness and self-preservation and in walking away from hunting, Cambrio was leaving behind a course of life that he felt was morally sound but not right for him.

Also, Vittore’s insertions to the contrary, Cambrio is less of a girl than Sam.

2b) This is an interesting question, particularly in regards to Cambrio’s relationship with his mother. I’ve always found it fascinating that despite being close in age, Cambrio and Vittore had dramatically different backdrops as young children. Whereas Vittore actually knew Emaryn and pre-hunting Hugo, Cambrio knows nothing of that environment. Despite having the same parents as his brother, Cambrio is very much “Hugo’s boy”, if you will; and by that I mean that he has never had any impression of his mother, having been raised entirely by a single (fractured) father.

So while he can’t miss Emaryn, per se, he’s certainly missed the idea of her. Without actual memories or any real stories about her, he was left with a vague sort of impression of what his mother might have been like and the supposition that she would not have approved of the way his father raised them.

“Meeting” her didn’t exactly fill a void - because again, it was really more of a vague sense of something not being present for Cam, rather than a part of him being missing, like it was for Vitt - but it did sort of drive home a lot of impressions regarding his father and his family. I don’t think he ever fully realized the extent to which Hugo loved Emaryn nor did he grasp just how much losing her forced the man that he once was to evolve. He’d always considered them a trio and after ‘meeting’ Emaryn, the realization that their family had once been something more became solid and concrete, not just an absent truth at the back of his mind. This, on top of his own recent experiences with Marley, gave him new insight into his father and an understanding of his basically having been put between a rock and a hard place with a blaster to his head and two children to protect at the expense of someone very dear to him. It also made him a lot more... sympathetic towards isn’t what I’m looking for... um, respectful of Vittore’s loss, maybe? Anyway, it made him look at his brother, who up until now he’d viewed as being in the same boat as him, a little differently; he understood for the first time that Vittore’s experience of not having a mother was vastly different to his own.

Getting possessed was a strange experience but not one that I think particularly shook him up - they’ve seen and been through a lot of strange things so, even with the personal ties in this case, it was sort of one of those ‘one time, on a hunt...’ things.

Finding out he was Force sensitive was incredibly disturbing to Cambrio. Having been taught to be suspicious and go on the offense in the face of anything out of the ordinary and potentially dangerous, he views this as an abnormal ability and it freaks him the hell out. He’s not really sure how to view himself now. It goes without saying that he’s not talking about it with his family (or anyone else) because the implications of the discovery and the bearing it will have on the future scare him.

2c) Cambrio respects and admires no one more than he does his father. He also resents and is irritated by no one more than his father. ;)

When he was younger, Cambrio simply didn’t have the ability to discern that a lot of how his father ran the operation was just due to the circumstances and situations within which they lived. Hugo’s need-to-know-basis communication policy and follow-orders expectations were seen simply as an oppressive, asinine way of asserting dominance and he resented that immensely. I think, especially as he got on in age and became more independent and capable, Cambrio took it personally; a criticism of his individual abilities. Coming from the man who he secretly wanted to emulate, that stung, and in response he lashed out. (Of course, there were times when he was just a smart-assed, disrespectful punk because he was a teenage boy and Hugo’s responses were completely justified; Cam has conveniently forgotten these times.)

Now I think he’s better able to understand the difficult position Hugo was in. He’s aware that his father did the best he could for the shape he was in and he’s grateful for that; he knows that he and his brother were and are loved fiercely; that doesn’t change the fact that he still thinks it wasn’t a great performance but it’s certainly put a cap on the sort of entitled bitterness he always felt.

Hugo’s being imprisoned angered Cambrio but I think the effect that Hugo’s time in custody had on him had a greater effect. Even when he was at the height of his critical opinion of the man, Cambrio had the impression that his father was superhuman, indestructible. I mean, how many kids can legitimately brag on the playground that their daddy kills monsters and could beat up your daddy and have that be a polite understatement? Being forced to see his father as what he is - just a man - shook Cam up more than he’d like to admit.

2z(or whatever the heck we’re on now): To be honest, I’m not sure. I think he’s a little overwhelmed with discovering he’s a freak to put much thought into that. When he does though, I think he’ll find there’s a real conflict there; yes, this is the man that killed his mother but really, by that point was she still the Emaryn Montegue that was his mother? And after all, it wasn’t really Inyos that did it anyway, right? Besides which, how can he justifiably be upset by it when it's exactly the sort of thing they do for a living? But then again, Inyos one of those Jedi and has those weird powers and should be viewed with caution... of course, Cam can’t really be critical of that now, can he? Etc, ad nauseum.

[Wyl Staedtler]

What was the original concept behind Lywellyn Voss? I was/am very curious as to her back story. And of course would love to have her run into Ecks again, I thought they made a great study in opposites as companions. :)

Llewelyn started out after my brother and I were discussing the implications of someone manifesting sensitivity to the Force inwardly vs outwardly - so instead of inadvertently moving something or having visions, they might direct those powers on themselves; in theory, they could be misinterpreted as medical ailments and go undetected for what they really were. The idea grew from there and eventually the voice of a woman being held in a facility doing experiments on Force-users under the guise of being a top-notch medical rehabilitation centre came through. As a child her symptoms had gradually become more and more severe until Llewelyn's parents had, in a desperate attempt to find some way to help their daughter, signed her into the custody of the staff (they were sent notice that she had not survived a surgery shortly after induction into the program) , where she was subject to all kinds of exploratory, invasive procedures until her eventual escape.

Llewelyn's way of coping with the restrained chaos that was her life there was by diving into starcharts and geographical figures, thus her first thread's title 'The Mapmaker's Lament'.

She's one of the characters I really regret letting slip through the cracks. I'd love to revive her. :)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I'm happy to help you revive her! :D Ecks needs his bald sidekick back.

[Dasquian Belargic]

We have very few child characters on Fans, and have done for a while. What made you want to write Wyl as a young boy?

[Wyl Staedtler]

Children see the world in a very unique way and I've always found it fascinating to listen to them describe it. The chance to look at the galaxy through the eyes of an adventurous young child with a lineage and connection to the Jedi, particularly after the board was reset and the backdrop for such a character became even more intriguing, was too tempting to pass up.

Wyl was never intended to be an orphan, either; that came about spontaneously during his first thread (with you!) and changed the entire dynamic. Suddenly it wasn't just a kid with capabilities trying to figure out where he fit in; there was a journey to go on that, while still a grand adventure, also presented harsh realities that needed to be balanced by that innate ability children seem to have to be able to adapt even while at their most vulnerable. It was such an enticing challenge.

While I don't feel I've always written him the way he ought to be written, I've been able to collaborate with very talented people and it's been an incredible five (!) years. ^__^

[Charley]

Where are Wyl's current whereabouts? What plans to you have for the youngster? Would he and Tak like to come stay with Aunt Taataani?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Even though she was initially repulsed by the thought of kissing - let alone kissing a boy - Tak has slowly been starting to get a bit curious on the mechanics of how to kiss. Does Wyl feel the same? Or does he still think kissing girls gives you diseases ;)

[Wyl Staedtler]

Where are Wyl's current whereabouts? What plans to you have for the youngster? Would he and Tak like to come stay with Aunt Taataani?

Wyl is currently aboard the Dauntless with s'Il and Dan (I really, really, really need to post), having been rescued from Bespin by s'Il and Saricia. Plans for the future involve being reunited with his wife, the other Jedi, and finding out about his family. There's no set timeline for any of that - it's more a vague 'that's gonna happen' handwave directed at the time to come. And I'm sure they would love to stay with Taataani, although Wyl is going to have to go on a sajoi rescuing spree. ;)



Even though she was initially repulsed by the thought of kissing - let alone kissing a boy - Tak has slowly been starting to get a bit curious on the mechanics of how to kiss. Does Wyl feel the same? Or does he still think kissing girls gives you diseases;)

Kissing does give you diseases. Wyl looked it up on the 'net. That shiz is no joke, yo.

However, I think he's starting to understand why some people do it and is less virulently repulsed. He doesn't think it's very appealing but it clearly plays a role in successful marriages/relationships. Maybe when people kiss, their brains send a signal to each other that this is fun and that they should stick together and work as a team so they can do it more often? Sort of like when a navcomputer sends data to the autopilot function on a ship. And when people break up, it's because they weren't kissing properly/enough and that telepathic connection frayed until all that could get through was garbled static.

He hasn't quite figured it all out yet but that's the theory.

[Arya Ravenwing]

Whatever happened to Wyl from the future? :ohno

[Knight Staedtler]

I'm right here baby, pimpin' it up in the years to come. :smokin

[Bryna Belargic]

Hi, Master Staedtler... :love

[Knight Staedtler]

Well aren't you a pretty little slip of a thing. ;)

(Wyl grows into a creeper, apparently)

[Teagan Staedtler]

I'll say! <:mad>

[Mandan Hidatsa]

When is Wyl going to find out who your father is?

When is Wyl going to meet his ghostly Force manifestation?

And more importantly, when does said manifestation get to meet this wife of yours? :mad

[Wyl Staedtler]

Wyl is never going to find out who my father is because my father is an angry South African patriot who happens to fall on the Trekkie side of the argument. He might one day meet his ghostly form but my Pa has to kick the bucket first.

And while my dad would be thrilled if I settled down with a good woman, it has yet to happen. :(


;)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I see what you did there.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Oh you clever girl!

[Captain Untouchable]

Damn you, McLellan. :shakefist