#Character: Boq

[the-patchwork-girl-of-oz]

I can’t get over Boq’s curly little elf boots like did you wittle those yourself in your little tree or are they from Santa

[just-some-guy-at-shiz]

NESSA: It’s because I’m in this chair, and you felt sorry for me. Well isn’t that right?

BOQ: No! No…

BOQ: [thinking] I came out to have a good time and I’m honestly feeling so trapped right now-

BOQ: It’s because you are so beautiful!

NESSA: Oh Boq, I think you’re wonderful!

BOQ: am… am I not beautiful too? :(

[instantpansies]

every time i see an oz mutual mention the tin woodman in passing i'm like HRGK I KNOW THAT GUY and i have to hold myself back from tacking a thousand rambling tags on their post that only tangentially has to do with the tin woodman. literally seeing the words right now i am trying to not say the same things i have already said a million times but like THATS MY GUY HES ME HES MY FAVORITE THING EVER AUGH AUGH AUGH!!!

anyways. the masculine urge to hijack every oz post that says the words 'tin woodman' for my own ulterior motives (convince everyone to make nick chopper their favorite guy ever).

[notasimpleslater]

Some Ethan crumbs from the new Wicked trailer 🙌🏻🩷💚🪓

[roebeanstalk]

did some doodling of some wicked peeps~ not really how i'd personally go at designing them, just went pretty one for one with broadway.

i did want to give fiyero at least some blue diamonds 'cause i wish they kept them in his stage design

also don't ask why galinda's the only not in her first day at shiz clothes lmao

[honeydewtreacle]

I'm generally hesitant to post canon x oc stuff but fuck it right? Being a little cringe won't hurt

[toiletpotato]

the casting directors of The Wiz and Wicked have an opportunity to do the most thing imaginable

[clamorybus]

i don't wanna gripe too hard on it because i'm only a few chapters into it, but so far im not really enjoying dominic's disappearance. but that just be because im a woz fan so it's just so underwhelming

[njadastonearm]

I've seen the old MGM version of The Wizard of Oz enough times that I thought I knew the plot but lately I've been going through the books and apparently I know nothing. or rather, I know most of the important stuff from the first book but everything I thought I knew about the Tin Man is a lie. every new thing I learn about him is weirder than the last. he's the Ship of Theseus if the Ship of Theseus were a person. he's named Nick, like he's Just Some Guy. he has a brother made up of his old dismembered fleshy body parts (but with his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend's head sewn on). many such surprises.

[ichiwashername-o]

Sorry to bug you, but I had a question: as someone who's full extent of knowledge re: Oz and Wicked is "I have seen the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie, and I've been told both that the books are super crazy and Dorothy's actually gay as hell, and also been told Wicked is the secret sad gay backstory of Glinda and Elphaba." I'm surprised to learn a) that Scarecrow was a real guy, b) he and Tin Man knew each other pre-Oz movie's story, and c) he apparently dated Elphaba, so my question is: is he a "her boyfriend until it turns out she was gay and the romance was doomed" boyfriend, or was I lied to about the nature of the story of Wicked being a sad lesbian backstory?

Oh boy, a lot to unpack here so let's see if we can break this down XD

Without getting into spoilers, it's important to know the book Wicked is a very, very different thing from the musical Wicked. I admittedly had never read any of the original Wizard of Oz books beyond the first one so I don't know anything about the whole "Dorothy is gay" thing but apparently that's true? I'll leave it to others who've actually read the series to verify on that.

My comics are solely focused on the musical adaptation of Wicked and such major plot points and characters are very different from the book, and if you'd like a break down, I'll post it under the spoiler below. Although I would recommend either waiting in eager anticipation for the movie to come out this November or find a Wicked bootleg slime tutorial on Youtube if you'd like to see the theater adaptation yourself. I highly recommend doing so.

Ok, so to break it down: Yes, both the Scarecrow and the Tin Man were actual people before they become the iconic figures we know and love (at least as far as the musical is concerned) And yes, Wicked is gay as hell, and though the musical isn't nearly as gay as the book, the relationship between Glinda and Elphaba that can absolutely be read as gay.

The Scarecrow, whose name is Fiyero, was a prince who initially dated Glinda but then things happen and he falls for Elphaba instead. He breaks off his engagement to Glinda to run off with Elphaba. The two have a steamy sexy duet together but tragically the relationship is bitterly short; the Wizard's guards take Fiyero prisoner and try to torture him for information on where Elphaba is hiding. In a desperate gambit to save his life, Elphaba casts a spell on him, which turns him into a scarecrow.

Also Fiyero and the Tin Man (who in the musical is Boq) went to university together so they sort of know each other. In fact, all four of them went to school together, which is where the majority of Act 1 of the musical takes place.

The book is very, very different: Tin Man (Nick Chopper) keeps his original backstory of getting his limbs chopped off by an enchanted axe and Fiyero dies (I can't remember exactly how but probably somewhere along the lines of "Wizard's guards capture him and beat him to death"). Obviously the musical changed these things to tie all the characters together and give it a bit of a happier ending.

I do not blame you if you are now more confused than before.

[the-patchwork-girl-of-oz]

(Wicked the Musical)Boq when he spends the entire musical chasing a pretty girl and having girl problems in general only to be magically transformed into one of the most queer coded characters in one of the queerest classic books:

[just-some-guy-at-shiz]

I really cannot get past the frog insults. Imagine Boq decides to just go with it, and starts showing up to classes with frog-themed everything, and now Elphaba’s back to square one on how to insult him back, because now “frog” is a fashion choice. Anyone would assume it’s an appreciated nickname because of the green sweater or the kawaii frog notebooks or the hat with a frog face or the lily pad-patterned socks or the frog patches sewn on his backpack, etc. etc. Probably overkill, but at least he’s memorable now. And hey, maybe Galinda would think it’s cute.

[that-ari-blogger]

Wicked's Existential Crisis

Deception is a big theme in Wicked. I don't think this is news to many people. The wizard is a wizard, truth is truth, happy is what happens when all your dreams come true.

Galinda embodies this pretty heavily, but so does Fiyero, although they do so in similar ways. They both lie to others, and realise that they have been lying to themselves later on.

But, you need a baseline before you get to character development. You need a benchmark for everyone to either move up or down from, depending on the genre.

In my opinion, Dancing Through Life establishes that benchmark, while asking a few more philosophical questions as it does.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD

"Dancing through life, Down at the Oz Dust If only because dust Is what we come to. Nothing matters, But knowing nothing matters, It's just life So keep dancing through"

Fiyero, buddy, friend, pal... are you ok?

Dancing Through Life is the introduction of Fiyero, and there is a enormous difference between what he is saying and how he is saying it.

That dust line is actually a biblical allusion, with various Judeo-Christian books and prayers claiming that G-d created humans from dust, and that when someone dies, they return to that dust. Hence the "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" saying (source). So, Fiyero is nihilistic.

"Nothing matters, so why bother trying" is such a morbid idea, and its usually associated with emo music, either lots of drums and raw emotions, or quiet and sad. So, when Fiyero sings it as a musical theatre, bombastic full orchestra song, his message flies under the radar because it is so dissonant with the style.

That's the key here. Most of the time, people are nuanced, and stereotypes do not encompass the human experience at all. The emotionally confused or depressed or spiraling person isn't the one who sits in the moonlight writing sappy poetry, it's the person who manages to hide it the most easily because they've been doing it for the longest.

Fiyero is putting up a mask to hide his insecurities, and he is doing it by... not wearing a mask?

Lampshading is the practice of softening elements in a piece of media, letting the audience know that something is out of order or farcical, and turning it into a joke. Overly Sarcastic Productions (@comicaurora) has a video explaining the trope in detail.

In a weird way, this is what Fiyero is doing. He is turning his own crisis into a joke. He doesn't have to hide it if he can poke fun at it. He becomes self-referential, and tells people to move on past the words he is saying and focus on the fun dancing and music.

I see where Fiyero is coming from, here. Purpose is difficult to find in this world, and it definitely seems like neither good or bad are rewarded, and luck will do what it will. But I would like to present a counter point.

Everything Everywhere All At Once was easily the most emotionally powerful film of 2022, and it also discussed nihilism in detail. I don't want to get into plot spoilers, but this movie asks the question: If nothing matters, then what?

And the answer to this is clear: Everything. In a Cinema Therapy video on the film, Johnothan Decker states this:

"If nothing we do matters, then the only thing that matters is what we do."

Actions have whatever meaning we ascribe to them, and if we ascribe no meaning to anything, then everything has meaning on the same level. If nothing matters, then everything matters.

This segways into another core question of the musical and especially this song. Do intentions matter?

Galinda and Elphaba have a comedy of errors with the gift giving, specifically when Galinda sets up Nessa with Boq, and Elphaba arranges for her to receive a wand in return, contrasted with the infamous hat.

Galinda does things for personal gain, and accidentally makes someone's life slightly better for a moment, and Boq kind of does the same. Neither of the two cares about Nessarose, but they bring her happiness in the short term.

"We deserve each other, and Galinda helped it come true."

I mentioned in my post about The Wizard And I that this theme comes up there first, in association with meeting the wizard, and I think there is something else to it than just deception. Don't get me wrong, this is deception at work, Elphaba with the Wizard and Nessa with everyone around her. But that lie has a positive result here, for the moment.

It also separates the consequences from the intention. Elphaba sees the wizard and wants to improve the world, her hopes are on rocky foundations, but her actions are strong, and I have already mentioned what Galinda's actions do.

However, I would argue that intentions do matter, and that this musical agrees with me, and that is with Boq, a person whom I despise.

As a character, Boq is fascinating. He is a direct satire of the hopeless romantic of stereotypical fairy tales, think Ariel from The Little Mermaid, or Lancelot from the 1963 movie, Lancelot and Guenevere. Boq is trying desperately to court someone who does not care about him and has someone who does care fall from the sky in front of him, but he can't see past himself.

Now, pining is all well and good, you are allowed to pine, and if someone is attracted to you, there is no law that says you must be attracted back. But Boq goes a step further.

"It's because I'm in this chair and you felt sorry for me. Isn't that right?" "No! No! It's because you are so beautiful."

Boq had an opportunity to back out of the romance handed to him on a silver platter. He could have said it was just a dance, or even confessed that Galinda put him up to it, if he so desired. But Boq made a choice to keep stringing Nessarose along. He may have his reasons, but I think his actions are not excusable, and the gut punch at the end of the musical when he tells her that he never cared is a betrayal that could have been so easily avoided.

Boq and Fiyero go on to become key players in the "death" of the Wicked Witch of the West, and they do so for alternative reasons, and it reframes Dorothy's journey.

For a more nuanced explanation of what I mean, consider this: In 2019, youtuber Hbomberguy (Harry Brewis) raised $347000 for a Brittish charity organisation called Mermaids in a livestream of Donkey Kong 64, and he gave a speech in October of that year about why he did such a thing.

"I think secretly, we're always making one of two decisions, and we make that decision even if we don't know we're making it. You're either choosing to make life worse for someone you don't like, or better for people you care about. There is an actual difference, and I didn't realise I made the wrong choice until a lot of people came over and helped change the choice retrospectively."

What you are trying to do matters, because if you keep trying to do good, even if you hit roadblocks, if you are truly committed, you will eventually do some good in the world.

I actually like Brewis' definition of right and wrong here, because it isn't overly philosophical, it pertains to individual actions. You either make someone else's life better or worse.

I have been rambling around my point for a while, so let me make it concise. Dancing Through Life asks philosophical questions about life. What matters? Is it you? Is it your actions? Is it your intentions?

Final Thoughts

There are two other things I need to mention before I finish. First up, the extras are some of the best parts of this musical, and in this song, that is driven home. Everything comes across as so superficial, and not in a "that's bad acting" way, but in a "that's an actor playing a character who is acting" way. This carries over to Galinda's entire style of talking, but the extras knock it out of the park here. It means that the only sincere moments in the song hit with the relevant weight. Those being Elphaba and Nessa's conversation, and the Elphaba dance (something remarkably difficult to find images of).

That dance is the moment I see Glinda x Elphaba (I still refuse to use the Gelphie ship name) actually taking off, rather than in What Is This Feeling, because it's the first moment that the two see eye to eye, and Galinda finally understands Elphaba. She earns her friendship and trust by trying to make up for her mistakes. Galinda talks a lot, but actions speak louder than words, and that dance kicks off a love story.

Next week, I will be diving into Popular, a number that really takes apart the theming to an overt level only matched by one other song, and we will get to that one soon.

Previous - Next

[littlefabala]

What I think each Wicked character would do in college if it were in our current world:

Elphaba: Natural Sciences

G(a)linda: Architecture

Fyiero: International relations

Boq: Agricultural engineering

Nessie: Art hystory/History (because i read a fic where she was a art student and it made so much sense to me)

Avaric: Sommelier (i know that is not a course, but come on, make sense right?)

Pfanne and Shenshen: pedagogy (If you read Out of Oz, you know why)

[beezusvreeland]

now that we don't talk - chapter 5

summary: After being rejected by Poe, the two of you are assigned a mission together. And a lot can happen during a mission.

ship: poe dameron x f!reader

note: I had so much fun writing this chapter and creating some original characters. I hope you enjoy them too!

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As much as he hated the First Order, Poe had to admit they knew how to throw a hell of a party. When you walked in, it was hard to pretend to be unaffected by the opulence that made the inside of the mansion look like a palace. The deep red tapestry contrasted with the black and white First Order symbol displayed in huge posters that started on the second floor balcony and ended just short of touching the ground floor. 

Stormtroopers were positioned in various spots across the room. You and Poe keep a serious expression as you walk down the stairs, your arm attached to his. Two excited, well dressed Twi’leks greeted the two of you. They wore very colorful and well tailored suits, one in pink and the other in lilac, and grabbed your hand immediately. The gesture got Poe on his commander mode: quickly, his right hand grabbed your arm, pulling you back to him, while the left hand went to the blaster he hid on the insides of his cape.

“My dear, you look radiant, what a wonderful dress!”, pink suit said, analyzing your figure. His eyes stopped at Poe’s hand on your arm. The Twi’lek looked at the pilot with a mischievous smile. “Well well, you brought an equally beautiful specimen with you.”

You immediately put your hand on top of Poe’. He knew that was your code for don’t do anything stupid, let me take it from here, still, he was furious with pink suit’s insolence.

Lilac suit must have noticed Poe’s expression as well, coming to the rescue and approaching you with subtlety. 

“I’m Jib and this is my husband Boq, welcome to our house!”, he gestured to the wide room behind him. “We’re so excited to make new acquaintances. My apologies if Boq here was overly enthusiastic, we saw you from afar and were mesmerized by your beautiful dress”, Jib gave you an apologetical look.

“Thank you for having us”, you gave them your hand, which they promptly kissed. “I’m Yasmin and this handsome grumpy overprotective man here is my husband, Kal.” 

Poe shook hands with the other couple, giving them a nod, feeling grateful for your quick thinking. He still couldn’t shake that bad feeling that had been following him all this way. Normally, he would be the charmer, but at that point, he just didn’t have it in him. At least the taciturn energy he was displaying aligned with the character you had just invented to explain his behavior. 

“You look fabulous too. I’m glad I’m not the only one wearing some color at this party”, you gave the Twi’leks a knowing look. They laughed loudly, completely taken by you. And to think Poe was the only charming pilot of the bunch. He made a mental note to praise you for it later. Being extroverted wasn’t in your nature, just as being quiet and mysterious wasn’t his.

Poe, however, didn’t understand why you were spending so much time on the hosts, when the mission was very clear on finding the general and leaving as fast as you could. 

“Don’t even get us started! So many boring looks today”, Boq commented, rolling his eyes. “The three of us are definitely standing out.”

…which was less than ideal for an undercover mission like the one you were in. Poe was officially worried. 

But you were so confident, it was obvious you had some sort of plan. He would just have to go with it.

A few drinks later, Jib and Boq had told you a lot of interesting information. They were merchants, had business on several planets and didn’t exactly align with any side of the war, choosing to stay out of conflicts as much as they could. Except for the one time the First Order held some of their cargo back in one of the planets they conquered — Jib and Boq made a deal with one of the generals, owing him a favor. That’s how they ended up opening their house to host the party.

“It could’ve been a lot worse”, you said in a concerned tone. “You were lucky the general had some compassion…”

“Right? That’s so rare nowadays”, Boq said, visibly affected by the alcohol. 

“Do you remember his name?”

Jib and Boq looked at each other. Before they could think the weird question through, Poe stepped in:

“As a businessman myself, it’s always good to know who to reach out to when a situation like that happens.”

It was the first time Poe talked since the beginning of the conversation, and Jib and Boq looked delighted with this new development. 

“It’s good indeed. As traders, we must keep a good contact list”, Boq looked around the room. “Not only do we remember the general in question, but he is in attendance tonight.”

“Oh, there he is, his name is…”, Jib pointed to the back of a man dressed as every other First Order officer in the room. Except, he had striking red hair.

“...Armitage Hux.”

Poe tried to catch your attention, so the two of you could leave the hosts and follow the general. But he couldn’t quite read your expression. You didn’t seem surprised or satisfied with the new information. It was almost like you just had something really sour to eat.

“Is everything okay?”, Poe whispered in your ear, taking advantage of the fact that the Twi’leks got distracted by other guests.”

“Remember how I told you some people I knew chose to serve the First Order?, you whispered back.

Poe nodded.

“Armitage Hux is one of them…In fact, he was a close friend of mine.”

“The carrot head? Really?

“Yes”, you set your eyes on Hux. Grabbing Poe’s hand, you started leading the way through the crowd. 

“Are we just going straight up to him?”

You dodged a few guests and stopped by the bar. 

“Like, hey, we know about the notebook, now give it to us.”

Ignoring Poe, you ordered two drinks to the droid bartender. Besides the stormtroopers, all the workers there were droids, Poe noticed. It looked like you had just realized the same, as he followed your gaze, which was focused on a band of droids who played classical Imperial music on a small stage. Of course Poe had been feeling horrible that whole time, the soundtrack was terrible, with chords shrieking off beat, setting an unsettling tone to the whole spectacle. 

“We aren’t going straight to him, we’re going to stop near him for a little bit, just enough for him to recognize me”, you smelled your drink before taking a sip. 

“Absolutely not, delete it, that’s a terrible idea”, Poe was agitated again. 

“No, it’s not”, you answered, putting a fake smile on your face and pretending to fix Poe’s collar as a stormtrooper walked next to you.

“Yes, it is”, he imitates you, while keeping his pose. “I’m not going to let you present yourself to him on a silver platter. That’s extremely dangerous.”

“Trust me, an old ewok is more dangerous than Armitage Hux. I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you though? You haven’t seen this guy in decades. A lot could have changed since then.”

“Please, please, trust me on this? I have an idea that will let us grab the notebook and leave this place in the next hour.”

Poe scratches his beard, trying to maintain his composure. If you weren’t undercover, the discussion would have evolved to you reprimanding him and him walking away. But he was cornered there, without many movements available to him. And Poe was well aware you knew and was taking advantage of that.

“If there is even the slight possibility of you getting hurt, I’ll intervene and we’ll do it my way. Understood?”, the seriousness in him wasn't just for the pretense of “Kal” anymore. 

“Let’s do this”, you answered with a sparkle in your eyes. It reminded Poe of the thrill of finally being able to fly again after being in the med bay for weeks after an injury. Heart soaring and soul shining bright after finding purpose.

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tags 💖

@wreckmyimage @steven-grants-world @lizispunkk @torntaltos @nervousmumbling

[bekimax11]

huh. i love boq. like i like writing and i love my characters i think i just get scared. oh x author’s characters are so this this this, and mine arent. but i cant be thinking ab that shit i need to just keep developing and trusting myself. if i want to i will. i need to have faith in myself that i will. basically i figured it out when i feel inferior or not connected to my characters i cant animatic them or fixate on them but then when i indulge a bit i start to get more confident and i can do it

oh also chat any better acronyms for boq that still have a q but dont stand for the word queer