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ciao ciao OK so firstly I just want to say A HUUUUUGE THANK YOU to everyone who engaged with my recent posts (as well as previous ones as always shout out to the OGs) But especially the last ones with the gala and the storyboard script. I've always been fairly confident in my art abilities but never really committed to my storytelling in earnest, that one with the interview esp like i tried to get it to look like how it played in my head, to get is as cinematic as possible so i am so happy y'all like it and that it got my point across. It so gladdens my heart too that you guys liked the little plots, and know that i appreciate every comment and tag. I've started to work on a portfolio in earnest and will maybe start applying to internships at indie studios/ game companies and have decided to include this kind of narrative driven concept art instead of my usual technical stuff, in no small part thanks to all your encouragement and kind words. That so many of you guys would take the time out of your day to write your thoughts about my little pictures is honestly so nice, y'all make a stranger on the internet very happy, and I'm so happy to give art and ideas that you like

ANYWAYYYYYYYY since someone asked me abt the brother's characterisation I figure i'd post some wips from the Do Not Post file

The Three below are part of the colour key narrative in prior posts , the rest are just me having fun w character design (face design is a bit inconsistent as these are sketches I've done over weeks (maybe months????) and my style jumps around a lot)

Also the Post abt the gala (want us to kill them) and the storyboard one abt the talk show aren't related plot wise they're one-off little ideas

This one Above at the climax of the story (idk it would be a series like my pacing sensibilities wouldn't fit a movie at All) where Mira's Brother finally locks in and backs his sister against his father as he should have done all those years ago. This post is already crazy long so i'm not going to expand on that (will stay in my head unless i get around to more colour keys). Also i think it would be funny to have like all of these fantastical elements then this guy comes in with frag grenades and submachine guns and is honestly pretty effective

This one below is after the final boss battle where he gets fucked up pretty bad nearly dies but is ok dont worry abt it shout out to sibling bonding activities including unravelling and ultimately destroying ur father's demon backed empire (idk if the parents die but to me they can be irredeemable but honestly give the brother a chance if he had to have the same parents as Mira. sometimes parents are just bad people tho - this isn't about Celine tho she tried her best)

This one is just vibes before his character arc

I would want a reconciliation between him and Mira i think it would be nice for them to recognise they both suffered under their parents and that any animosity between them was a result of that. like as you grow up and get more life experience/ maturity, you look back on things and understand where other people are coming from and so i think it would mean the world to Mira if her brother apologises for his past actions (more under the cut) since it's like "no you weren't the problem child they were just bad parents and I was a bad brother, and i like to think she'd recognise that he was going through it too, and shouldn't have been put in those situations in the first place being just a kid himself also something abt siblings being the only ones to really understand each other's own history at such a inceptual level since no one else is their parents' kids and no one else will ever be able to experience that

also as a side note i love how the movie explicitly gives us the lie the hero (Mira) believes (Ie "I know I'm a difficult person short fused overly blunt highly aggressive") and just doesn't really resolve it at the end. like IDK abt y'all but with the shit Rumi was pulling which from M & Z's perspective would be insane (Let's release the new single even tho we just got off a world tour! Let's seal the honmoon with this super vocally challenging song!! Also I can't sing it anymore :D!!! Let's write a diss track!!!! I'M NOT GOING TO SING THAT EITHER THO!!!!! AND I'LL SAY THIS LIKE A DAY BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE!!!!!!!) after that I cannot read Mira as short fused lol

wow wouldn't be so great to have a follow up movie/ series resolving this haha jk unless????

Also I am so bad at naming things, all the file names are just "Brother" or "M bro" haha (fact: Verballocket means absolutely nothing to me it was the autogenerated username assigned to my email for the account i made like 10 yrs ago and completely forgot abt till i wanted to post here last year)

His hobbies include: Wondering how it all came to this Disassociating at the club Obsessively working out to feel some semblance of control over his reality Birdwatching

Tall, dark, handsome, rich, well connected, charming and having the worst time Face card is hereditary apparently

If we have Mira who does not (cannot) conform to expectations due to her nature, then MBro desperately attempts to conform to expectations despite his nature Like trying to fit into a shoe by breaking bones etc

oh and the smoking is a bad habit he picked up from his parents hope he drops that

instead of the son being the spoilt favourite i like to approach the family dynamic as terrible for both siblings just in different ways (the parents dont discriminate lol they're equally the worst to both their kids)

So i prefer to think of him like Mira's foil/ mirror in that both of them cannot meet their parents expectations in opposite ways, ie Mira is not compliant (unwavering sense of self, refuses to be anything else), whereas Mbro doesn't have the killer instinct (isn't naturally ruthless, an inherent instinct to protect as opposed to dominate etc), and are both heavily impacted but the quite horrid parenting

But Mira left the cycle, whereas Mbro couldn't (still trying to earn love & validation from parents - a mirage), what would that do to a person over time

so Mbro has potential but that is exploited by his parents instead of nurtured.

Ie divergent responses regarding nature vs nurture, Mira follows her nature whereas Mbro suppresses it

This may all seem a bit extreme but i like when characters are put in pressure cookers like a stress test, also just given on how extreme Mira's reaction was in the movie (I knew it was too good to be true, i dont get to have a family etc etc) i think it would be rather lame if the backstory is just like ugh you didn't get into the right school

and also these are My little stories that come to me when driving/ in between sets at gym/ waiting to fall asleep (probably should stop day dreaming whilst driving tho that's a bad habit) so whatever IDC

this is already so long so under the cut is (a lot) more character explanations if anyone is interested but be warned this is the energy i bring:

Going off the ongoing Chaebol HC that runs through my previous posts, if the parents are as follows:Father: scores incredibly on the psychopathy test (callous, bold, socially dominant, no fear response, deceptive, exploitative) ie people are either a tool or an obstacle to his ends) re Richard III soliloquies from Henry VI part III ("Many lives stand between me and [the crown]", "I can smile, and murder while I smile" etc etc) Mother: Incredibly inflated ego, doesn't apologise, superiority complex where she's always been in proximity to power but never truly wielded it herself despite believing she deserves to so instead wages psychological warfare in order to establish dominance over those around re Marquise de Merteuil from Dangerous Liaisons ("When one woman strikes at the heart of another, she seldom misses, and the wound is invariably fatal" "When I came out into society I was 15. I already knew then that the role I was condemned to, namely to keep quiet and do what I was told, gave me the perfect opportunity to listen and observe. Not to what people told me, which naturally was of no interest to me, but to whatever it was they were trying to hide. I practiced detachment. I learned how to look cheerful while under the table I stuck a fork onto the back of my hand. I became a virtuoso of deceit. I consulted the strictest moralists to learn how to appear, philosophers to find out what to think, and novelist to see what I could get away with, and in the end it all came down to one wonderfully simple principle: win or die" (pls read, a great book, a super long quote but i love it)

Then that's going to fuck up both kids lol To grow up learning how to navigate parents' responses instead of learning how to process ur own emotions is Not great Neither is essentially fearing those who are supposed to protect you (fearing criticism, rejection, disappointment etc)

So perhaps Mbro's core nature is not so different to Mira's in that he's caring, compassionate, valuing loyalty, community, family, valour etc

But the parents use those qualities (perhaps natural inherent qualities, perhaps influenced by reading of great characters of history & culture ie Admiral Yi) to manipulate & control MBro ie Loyalty is to Our Family at the expense of others, If you care you will do as we say, if you are a part of this family you must act as we instruct, using validation and "love" as the carrot and withholding it as both the stick as well as the status quo, as why work harder if you have what you need.

And so the parents motives Re chaebol expansion, family dynasty, power above all, co-opt and exploit what would be virtuous qualities as a tool for their own gain, and what would normally benefit the community in fact harms it (ie neo-liberal capitalism is bad etc etc)

What separates Mira from MBro is that she cannot compromise her nature, will not be quiet and compliant (and if the price she must pay is ostracization, becoming the black sheep then so be it, better that than annihilation of the self), whereas MBro does for it's the only way he can see as a path to love (and if the price he must pay is annihilation of the self then so be it, better that than ostracization, becoming the black sheep). Love in this instance being conditional, to be earned And value is determined by action (success/failure) = what he can contribute, ie be the ideal Son So He tries and tries and tries (3rd at National Tae Kwon Do championships - just the second loser then) studies relentlessly, never contradicts

There's a defining incident in the past (Mira's 13/14 ish MBro is 16/17 ish not sure abt canon age gap), where there's an incident between Mira and member of another business partner family ending in a fight (Mira clocks the guy- over what IDK can change). A he said/ she said type situation. Mbro knows the character of the other guy (antagonistic, type to start shit, a dick), and whilst he didn't see the start of the issue, Mira says that she was just reacting, that the other guy initiated the conflict, and that's probably true. But since the guy's the son of a business family that their in the process of closing a major deal with or something. So when their Father asks Mbro what happened/ who is at fault, he can either back Mira (the honest, true option), or he can let her father assume the she, The Problem Child, is at fault (the political option that allows Father to placate business partner and ensure the deal goes through at Mira's expense). He chooses the latter and experiences more guilt and shame he could possibly imagine. Mira looks at him with such hurt, betrayal and disappointment. Things are never the same between them. Now she knows exactly where he stands. After, his father invites him into his study to share a scotch and cigar with him for the first time, praising him for his tact and for "considering the wider implications", essentially rewarding him for placing the Family's interests (power) over his sister's (the truth, actual family). This certainly doesn't do great things for his conscious/ psyche.

Then off to mandatory military service at around 19-20 yrs, further from the Family influence. Adapts well considering the environment is not so different to what he is used to. Develops comradery, feels like he can breathe. Insane work ethic is noted and recognised. Grows taller, grows stronger. Natural inclination to support is beneficial in this context, encouraging those in his unit. Learns leadership qualities, discovering a sort of quiet, steady charisma previously stifled. Tenacious work ethic inspires others. Positive reinforcement drives his training even more. Feels an incredible sense of purpose during exercises helping natural disasters, rescue efforts etc. Planned to continue and pursue a career with the defense (invited to qualify for special forces ie search&rescue).

But is sent for by parents, to return and to work for the Family business (they recognise he can be a valuable asset, and must recall him before he strays too far outside their sphere of influence). Whilst he doesn't want to, he ultimately returns, fulfilling his role as the dutiful son and maybe, just maybe, might result in his parents' approval and love, what he has wanted all along. But this leaves him with a deep insecurity and constant, evergrowing state of unease For his nature is in direct conflict with the expectations/motives of his parents IE to care for others as opposed to exploiting them, to be of service to others instead of them being a tool to serve your personal advancement, generosity as opposed to avarice As he is instructed to further the Family's interests by any means necessary (including underhanded tactics ie Things like blackmail, manipulation etc your classic corporate espionage) and it's not like he enjoys it, (but honestly in some cases tho it feels a bit cathartic being the one with the power-echoing traits/ habits of Mother) but It's worth it to achieve his parents' praise/acceptance and exceed their expectations which he's been conditioned to believe is his role, duty etc

So he puts on the mask, becoming the cool, charming, intelligent, ruthless Son, rubbing shoulders with the who's who of high society & the business world, always discrete (The Family does everything to remain out of the public eye/ scrutiny, commanding power from the Shadows- in direct opposition to Mira who is The Visual of the queens of Kpop) knows how to work a room, speaks many a language, makes things happen one way or another, takes no prisoners. "you're certainly your father's son" i guess mafia vibes?? (His mask is kind of the inverse of his father's, in that his is a cold, cool "sigma/alpha male" type that hides a compassionate streak, whereas his father's mask is that of a paragon of the head of the family leader type that conceals a most frightening, cold, remorseless nature)

But there's inevitably cracks in the mask ie. tips waitstaff absurdly well, does not tolerate disrespect towards service workers and staff. acknowledges them and says please & thank you. If a staff member/ hospitality worker has an issue they know they can to to him and trust him to sort it. Also unlike others in his position is consistently respectful towards women. This gives him an excellent reputation amongst workers in the bars, clubs, "gentlemen's" clubs etc who in turn give him insider info about what they hear is going on amongst other chaebols/ global businesses. He can pretend to his parents (who are obvs classist) that this is the reason why he tips heavily/ looks out for them but in truth he'd do this w/out reward (Also smth smth masculine ideals of the conqueror ie strong man, dominate, stoic, authoritative etc etc vs masculine ideals as the protector ie. protect those who need it, stand against injustice, raise those around you up etc)

And the partying/ networking ie schmoozing at said bars/clubs is part of the job for him, not something to be enjoyed as it is fake for he is fake. The beguiling smirk drops as soon as he is out of eyesight. Returning late to his empty apartment to throw himself into his intense exercise regime alone in his private gym (weights, calisthenics, running, army drills) to rid himself of the anxious energy that builds up everyday and to hold onto the only part of his life when he felt like he belonged (military). Smth smth using physical exercise/ expression to ground himself being reminiscent of Mira's initial relationship w dance.

An after years of maintaining the mask, performing his duty but never truly fulfilled leaves him tired. despondent. somewhat resigned. But it is all he knows. This is where he is at in the plots of the previous posts that i have made ie colour key, funeral etc.

A part of him resents Mira's actions and success ie why couldn't she suck it up like I did, but a deeper, realer part of him is proud of/ happy for his baby sister for staying true to herself and achieving success outside of their parents' influence. But that leaves him with a sickening feeling of unease & regret, as if he recognises she made the right decision, then he made the wrong one, and all of this sacrifice is a consequence of that, all for naught. But he believes he is too far down this path to turn back.

And when they meet after all those years Mira is a bit taken aback, firstly because he is now so tall and strong, no longer the pipe-cleaner limbed boy she left ("what so the army has super-soldier serum now?"), that he, amongst peers, plays the part so well, but when they speak alone without an audience the facade completely drops, revealing a subdued, sombre almost numb man. He doesn't try to pretend around Mira since if anyone is going to see through the mask it's her. It's a bit prickly but she comes out of it feeling more concerned than anything else.

This is where most of the stories that come to me start of with, like they're distant and still guarded but they have this weird understanding of eachother as only siblings do

Anywayyy if you've made it this far you're a G, these are just fast & loose characterisations that stretch and change depending on whatever idea comes into my head, mostly it's to serve the concept art but i find it interesting to use characters in these IPs as little case studies (i love family psycho-thriller dramas ie Sharp objects) in the impacts of childhood experiences

Art and storytelling is so interesting and fun tho why do people want to use AI like even if what i make sucks/ is cringe it's still something human like it's still mine why would i outsource that to just ones and zeros

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