#spelaris

[sepublic]

At the same time I want to consider another idea that really recontextualizes that whole incident between Majikus and Spelaris where after the backstory is recited, at the end of the series, we learn some new context: Before Spelaris herself was raped, Majikus herself had a similar incident and never spoke up about it.

This could add a new layer of nuance to Maj’s whole deal because she felt too ashamed to admit what happened to Spelaris at any point of her life, and that need to feel strong just isolated her sister of emotional support she could’ve otherwise provided so it’s kind of selfish.

For Majikus, investing herself into Spelaris’ trauma and making it about is herself is because it kind of actually was about herself too. She sees a way to fight back against people who make her feel that way without having to admit to having been “defiled” like that and so she’s using her sister as a buffer.

And when Spelaris refuses to go along even after Maj’s rhetoric that it’ll be a good example for other victims to speak out, it really hurts her because to Maj, Spel has admitted that she wouldn’t do it for her own sister. That she wouldn’t stick her neck out if Majikus chose to confront her own rapist about this.

I am concerned about how this could undermine a point I was making about Majikus’ character, where it’s that she presumes to speak on behalf of others despite missing some key distinctions. And I feel this reveal would ruin that by showing she actually does have a place to speak. But then again Majikus can only get away with looking at things from a collectivistic perspective; In the end, Spelaris is still her own individual who has chosen not do the same and she already said she’s not judging those who would engage in a fight.

In the end it’s still her incident and her trauma and Majikus was not there when it happened anyhow. Plus the context of how I reveal it could also help because it would come probably around the final battle where Spelaris admits that she helped Khemh and the Monster Realmers by setting up that barrier spell as she urges Maj not to go through with the ritual.

Majikus tries to appeal to Spelaris and admits that Yeah, she herself was assaulted before Spelaris and that played into her being so invested. At which point Spelaris snaps because Fuck off, are you actually trying to make me feel sorry for you?! Maybe if they were still kids but they’re well past that after everything else Majikus has done!

And in the end she points out how the hypocrisy, the cowardice. How Spelaris was used as a convenient buffer for Majikus to attack her trauma without truly facing it. Spelaris is supposed to expose herself for the sake of justice against all others who would do the same but Maj is allowed to hide her rape because it makes her look bad, when this would’ve added to an allegation?!

She had her own trauma all along to work with she didn’t need Spelaris’. Let herself be inspired once she realizes she couldn’t allow the same to happen to others after accepting it for herself. But the way it’s okay for Maj to hide it… Does she really think so lowly of her sister?!

And Majikus tries to pivot the discussion to how this all would’ve happened with or without the incident because this is bigger than them. People like Mammon still would’ve cast cruelty just as readily and easily and they needed to be stopped and they were and it felt good to Maj. And so hypocritically she pivots the discussion to this subject just to say they need to pivot away when it doesn’t work.

Basically, this could work if it’s not about feeling bad for Majikus but instead backfiring on her to do the opposite as it exposes how much it sucks and how self hatred actually does loop around to being cruel to other people.

Idk I do think one idea I want for Majikus is that she’s consistent and upfront. She doesn’t like Narellus’ idea of false flag attacks, she prefers to wear her heart on her sleeve and states to her fellow warlocks before confronting Hydrownus alone when recruiting him (and later reiterates to Viracious about the topic of taking out his sister as a liability, which she proves) that she doesn’t make people do what she herself is not willing to do.

The hypocrisy would still make it meaningful like it’s all Majikus’ way of trying to make up for that crucial omission without actually confronting it; Again, projecting onto a buffer. So when she murders Spelaris right after this she reaffirms to herself what she should’ve done a long time ago about being consistent, about facing stuff head-on or whatever.

But I guess it all boils down to what direction I want to go because both could work. There’s the hypocrisy but also Majikus operating from such clueless privilege and how the latter is arguably more common and thus hard-hitting for a satire. Any thoughts?

[sepublic]

Another thing I want to do with the Warlocks is having a moment where each one of them doubles down, they commit, and any second guesses they have are eliminated, which makes it hit way harder when it finally does fall apart at the end.

Majikus murders Spelaris, her own sister: In spite of what guilt and what meagre gestures she made to make up for what happened way back when, in the end she has not learned anything and is ignoring her sister’s wishes to make this about how she has been berated and let down. When her niece Kita attempts to stand up to her, she beats Kita within an inch of her life until Kita, terrified, relents and surrenders.

I’ve already explained Narellus and Hydrownus: Narellus was always Ride or Die for Majikus because she’s amoral and she’s looking for anything that will make her feel powerful and important and like she’s actually having an effect on the world. But when Majikus admits that she intentionally paired Narellus and Hydrownus together under the hopes that they’d vibe, and they finally have… Narellus has this awestruck moment of just how amazing Majikus is, that she devoted herself to this rando and was rewarded with this position, and now someone who understands, and she’s like. I’ll never doubt you again. Your brilliance is everything. I’d die for you. I’d kill for you!

Hydrownus is when he kills the last of Narellus’ coworkers from when she was a maid. He sees that coworker has become a mother with her own little boy and when Narellus realizes what the comparison is and begins to do it for Hyd to spare him, he doubles down by slaughtering the mother and child for her to spare Narellus, and commit himself to this. The past is dead, this is his life now; He’s with the warlocks, he’s with Narellus, and even before he regained his memories he chose this. It’s meant to be him having hope that he can move on and finally be productive and build for once, not be an inherent mistake.

Megarus… I’m not entirely certain, but I kinda like to think it’s like that bit from The Boys where The Deep kills his octopus girlfriend and spaces out overnight only to snap to it when receiving an unheard order from his megalomaniacal boss as he doubles down to doing whatever ruthless thing he must, there’s no turning back now! It might be a bit funny is what I’m saying. The point being in that Meg finally comes to terms, after doing something reprehensible for the warlocks, that this IS what he chose, that he cannot run away from it, that this is who he is and he just has to live with it now. He’s someone who ultimately does think of himself as a nice dude and is realizing he isn’t really that nice when he’s a warlock at the same time.

Viracious is definitely going to be a lot more sobering. I’ve already mentioned that Majikus murders Spelaris, her sister: After stating before that she’d never make the others do something she herself would not, and reiterating this when Viracious suggests hypocrisy in Majikus presenting Thanasia as a potential liability to eliminate… She really truly proves it when Spelaris admits she helped set up the barrier spell that cut off the warlocks from one another so the Monster Realmers and their allies could successfully divide and conquer the council during the attack on the mansion.

The warlocks initially prepare themselves to take on Spelaris when the truth is revealed, but Majikus reiterates her point, looking at Viracious especially, when she holds them aside and makes the move to face Spelaris on her own, and wins. Afterwards as she regroups with the warlocks, a spiritually crushed Viracious admits to Majikus that yeah, her will IS superior. When Thanasia confronts him separately and admits her visit was to set up the nodes for Spelaris’ barrier spell, she more blatantly begs Vir to stop this; Let’s run away, just the two of us together, like in the good old days! She appeals to his reactionary nature.

But a defeated Viracious can’t even meet her eyes as he admits… Sometimes, the best thing you can do… is just look away and let it happen.

I realize I generally prefer to not spell things out if I can avoid it and let ideas be shown and not told. In this case, I really want to convey the idea that Viracious began to secretly regret turning in that reactionary terrorist group. I initially planned to do so with that shot of him just silently glancing down at some reminder of them; But maybe this is all that’s necessary.

Either way, Viracious is kicking himself. He realizes he had the perfect way to get the society he wanted, that his father wanted, without bloodying his own hands, and all he had to do was look the other way; In an even more ideal world, he’d have never met them, never found out, and thus never been responsible nor liable for looking the other way.

The point being: It’s happening again. He is NOT repeating his mistake and doing this shit all over again, he’s trying to change things… Which is funny, given the warlocks’ fates are about being cyclical. Though in Viracious’ case he actually breaks the cycle, or might not; I may or may not change things so he remains stagnant like the rest.

But yeah, in a way Viracious admires Majikus for this. He has his doubts he won’t speak to her face (most of the time), he’s a cocky snobby idiot. But in the end he craves a certain strength of will to do what needs to be done but can’t, so he tried to work around it by carving out a reactionary space where others outside of his society lived. And now here’s Majikus, who proves she has the will to do anything, even beat her own niece within an inch of her life and murder her if Kita hadn’t given up. Viracious needs someone like that because he can’t do the same.

That leaves Kisonus and Editaurus, whose moments I have yet to devise. Kisonus is meant to be a goofier evil so I’m not sure how necessary it is, while Ed… I’ll figure it out. It might be some variation of Screw the Haters but I fear that’s redundant with her backstory. But for now, we have what we have.

[sepublic]

I swear Spelaris is such a stupid name. I needed a name for Majikus’ sister and decided to do something that sorta fit the theming of the name so they’d feel like actual siblings from it. And I thought I liked Spelaris at first but now I am having second thoughts and at this rate it might be a placeholder.

The funny thing is that Majikus is also probably a very stupid name but I’m desensitized because I came up with it as a kid when I had more whimsy and so I got used to it. And by came up I mean I just took it from a Lego game named as such. Of course if Magik is a beloved X-Men character then maybe Majikus’ name isn’t so bad but. S P E L A R I S

[sepublic]

In the end I really want a bit, and this might take place during the fallout of Maj going rogue to accuse her sister’s assaulter, or just a more mundane situation leading up to that, where Spelaris rolls her eyes and lays out for Majikus, what her problem is: You are not a righteous sword clearing the evils of society. You are an angry teenager who can’t learn to let things go.

Majikus is so fucking pissed about this and doesn’t know how to respond before huffing out something in anger but not quite getting to finish.

[sepublic]

I already established a basic idea for Majikus’ backstory and one of the defining moments of her life that led her down her current path. But I’m also thinking of something else I might add to that moment, if I don’t replace it entirely idk.

Basically, Majikus and Spelaris are sisters, they’re kids. And to put it bluntly, Spelaris gets sexually assaulted by a peer. Majikus is furious as Spelaris confesses as such to her in private, but she asks, nay begs, Maj not to do anything about it. This peer is someone with high social standing in privilege; An accusation wouldn’t go anywhere. There’s no evidence and even if there is, people won’t listen to it. All this’ll do will is lead to pain and humiliation for Spelaris as everyone treats her as either a liar grabbing for attention, and/or dirty.

Majikus however is incensed and doesn’t listen to reason. She inevitably caves to her sense of righteous wrath, her need to make things right and make people pay, her inability to allow people to just get away with it and let herself be a passive victim and that humiliation. So she winds up attacking the peer as revenge. And in her head, she can’t let people think she’s just some mad idiot who attacked for no reason, she needs people to understand that this person is bad, so she spells it out in front of everyone what happened to Spelaris.

It doesn’t work out. Majikus is restrained and I’m not sure if she’s sent to juvie or basically laughed off and warned. But in the end it leads to a confrontation with Spelaris, who’s humiliated and betrayed after trusting her sister with this secret. Majikus is offended at the thought that she did something wrong, and gets mad at Spelaris for not supporting her sister, for not supporting herself, and insists that she’s also trying to help her sister become strong enough to defend herself when it really matters. And on some basic level, it’s almost as if she kinda looks down on Spelaris for being weak, and feels the need to prove the same thing would not happen to herself, esp when her sister inevitably feels like an extension of herself.

I think of how it’s difficult for sexual abuse victims to come out about their trauma because they get slandered, derided, accused of faking it, etc. I think of how for many, even if something was agreed upon in court, the stress and humiliation of the public ordeal is not worth what they actually got, and often it’s not even much anyway. And that’s assuming anything is acknowledge and it’s not for nothing.

Majikus has a point about how they can’t let people get away with this, that the first person to step up can inspire others to do the same. But it’s up to each victim to decide if they want to do that. And in the end there’s this basic idea that she’s making this about herself, that her own sister’s trauma is now her trauma and it’s very selfish. It establishes in a mundane context how that righteous rage and need to speak on behalf of someone else she has some basic commonality with, but ultimately isn’t, will lead to disaster and at best a pyrrhic victory.

Maybe there’s even a moment during the argument afterwards where Majikus says, coldly, that if Spelaris didn’t want her to do anything about it. Then she shouldn’t have confided in her. That Spelaris should either see things all the way through, and understand how asking Maj to just look the other way and accept this is cruel, or not tell her. Which is again so deeply selfish in how Spelaris isn’t even allowed to confide.

I’m not entirely sure what happened to the peer afterwards because let’s be real, Majikus is insane and there’s no way she’s forgetting that when she grows up to become one of the most powerful witches of all time and gets away with conquering entire cities. I imagine it’s a confrontation she’d prefer to do on her own since it’s personal and asking her fellow Warlocks or any minions to help would feel cowardly, and maybe on some basic level she does feel a bit of guilt since then for humiliating Spelaris, so the less who know about it the better.

I suppose there’s a lot in common between Maj and Narellus, since they both saw someone they have in common with get assaulted and basically had the takeaway of making it about themselves and exercising their destructive power over others so they don’t be the same as that victim. In fact a part of me is worried now that maybe the story is a little too similar but what does anyone here think?

Maybe the concept of Majikus being sent away to Monster juvie is a thing that could happen after the incident and it leads to her hardening and becoming worse, a punitive justice discussion. And it factors into a guilt on Spelaris’ end as well. Just as Maj concedes a bit that she should try to handle things more privately from here on, Spel considers that maybe if she’d supported Majikus, maybe an accusation could’ve gone somewhere and led to her sister being acquitted or at least vindicated in their community’s eyes. Or maybe Maj was right and she shouldn’t have brought it up if she didn’t want something to be done about it, and it is partially her fault what happened to Majikus. But it’s too late to change what happened.

I do want for there to be some basic tenderness between them, enough that Spelaris would be willing to let her daughter Kita be tutored by her sister for a few months. In her mind she feels it should be a bad idea but that guilty part of her wants to make things up to Majikus and she thinks that she’s repeating the mistake of not supporting her sister.

Maybe part of the incident involved Spelaris just straight up accusing Majikus of making stuff up because she didn’t want to be humiliated. Thereby throwing her sister under the bus as people think Maj wanted the vindication of taking down someone popular but didn’t even have the guts to claim it was herself who was taken advantage of, it was Maj throwing her sister under the bus and technically she did but. Yeah. Again a lot of this is Majikus’ fault for not respecting what Spelaris chose for herself as a victim by the end of the day but maybe Spelaris could’ve succeeded in a confrontation, maybe her desire to keep the peace and let bygones be bygones was wrong, maybe Majikus is a revolutionary enacting proper violence.

This does make me think about doing a storyline in which we explore the realities of Majikus’ ideas for the Monster Realm, because punitive justice will absolutely be one of them. In her mind it was only wrong what happened to her because she was an actual good guy. Maybe there should be a storyline about her enacting a All Pedophiles Die policy, and how that puts a kid into an awkward position because they don’t want their abuser to die, they don’t want that blood on their hands; And then their life is endangered, if not ended, because that abuser fears the kid will accuse, or be moved to confess by some other adult, so better to stage an accident than be found out and executed themselves by a “traitor.”

It’s very dark but that’s the reality! This is what happens when you enact these ideas! And again it emphasizes that Majikus never learned a damn thing from what happened between her and Spelaris, all she can think is that Spelaris should’ve been stronger and so on some basic level, what happened next, the continued agony of no justice, was her own fault. She was weak. Majikus is a blunt instrument with no subtlety.

I also have to consider how this might factor into Ferrari Steele’s backstory because part of her deal is that she was sexually abused by her mother before Kisonus ate both parents. I might change it up so it’s another warlock or some other incident entirely. But if it is a warlock then that has to be noticed and brought up by the council. Someone has to point out, Yeah it sucks that you didn’t have the guts to do it. But it had to be done. We did it for you, you were freed by us, you’re better off now and so you owe the basic recognition that we are doing for people what they need and continuing to fight us makes you a hypocrite who hates all other victims, apparently.

And in the end that’ll make Ferrari hesitate. She’s pretty no-nonsense but for this formative childhood trauma that accounts for how she changed since the last time Ruby saw her, it’s like Yeah. Maybe the warlocks are right. Maybe we’re the bad guys. And it feeds into Majikus’ end especially this righteous feeling that everyone is doing her dirty in not supporting her righteous crusade.