#their relationship IS different from Will and Lyra's. Pan is the one who reaches out to will first in fact

[enter-the-bogman]

I was ranting a bit about how the His Dark Materials show interacts with the children (Lyra, Pan, and Will) in ways that actually undermine the main thesis. Specifically I want to talk about how they completely undermined the emotional poignancy of the scene with Will and Pan’s intimate conversation, while Lyra pretends to sleep. Lyra never tells Will she heard what he said about her being the bravest person he knows, although “how often she remembered it in the days that followed” is the line used much later. This is such an important scene that clearly depicts Lyra and Will’s developing, not-yet-matured feelings, and specifically Lyra’s dawning recognition that she loves Will in a way she has never before (and may never again) love another person. Of course, she still must undergo a long trial and finally land with the Mulefa, where Mary explains falling in love to her. But this is the origin point.

The show weakens this powerful moment by having Lyra immediately tell Will that she heard the conversation, and then destroys it by causing her to bring up Roger. Will’s words were, “she’s the best friend I’ve ever had,” and Lyra responds, “I had a best friend once, and I let him down.” Absolutely driving a wedge between herself and Will via Roger’s ghost (who, incidentally, has not even APPEARED yet in-story!) Lyra should be just beginning to recognize ways in which she can be self-centered and is still emotionally immature, and has certainly not yet reached a point where she can even fully acknowledge her involvement in Roger’s death, much less confront her guilt. She undergoes that crucible during her time kidnapped and drugged by Mrs. Coulter, and comes out on the other side frightened, but prepared to do what she can to make amends. 

All this to say, let Lyra be a child. Let her be childish. Let her be selfish, let her be stubborn, let her be confused, let her try to make the right choices. Let her fail and let her succeed. That’s the whole point.

[dragon-kazansky]

Going North - Chapter four

Summery: You’ve made it to the North! Things are about to change big time.

Chapter 4 - In the North

The North.

Cold, cruel and full of secrets, and Lyra had made it.

You were standing at the very front of the boat, looking out at the cold sea below. There was excitement in the air, which you were certain was Lyra's doing. Despite the circumstances, she had made it the place she wanted to be. It was sad that Roger was not here to experience this with her, but he would be by her side soon enough, you were sure of it.

Lyra came running up the deck of the ship, a huge smile on her face as she came to your side. You laughed as she came to a stop, looking up at you with so much glee. You wrapped an arm around her pointed out ahead, taking in the sight of Trollesund. Her smile only grew at the sight.

Neither one of you noticed the hot air balloon that was flying way up high above the ship, or the man flying it, who was looking down below.

Ahead was a tall snow covered mountain, and below it the small village of Trollesund. Never had you been so excited, yet so scared to be somewhere. You didn't know what would happen from here on out. You just wanted those children to come home safe.

Lyra looked up at you with another smile as the ship reached the port. She was off quicker than a flash to find the others and get on land. You looked out at the town once more before following her steps, though not quite as quickly. You did hurry up to catch up with her when she called your name, looking at something further down the docks. You chuckled at her excitement.

It was nice to see her smile.

"The spy-fly will have reached Mrs. Coulter by now." Farder Coram said to Lord Faa. "Our business here must be in haste."

"I don't like it here either."

The two of them were strolling down the docks, talking without Lyra around. Luckily she was preoccupied with you.

"Go see the witches' consul, get whatever help you can, and we leave here as fast as possible." Lord Faa spoke quickly, his urgency to move on was clear.

"It's been 40 years since I saw Serafina last. She might not like what she sees." Farder Coram said, looking to the other.

"I remember you as a younger man, Coram. You weren't much to look at even then." John teased. They both chuckled.

Lyra and yourself were walking by, right in their view. You were both too busy caught up in your own conversation to notice them talking. Both gentleman noticed you however. They were looking at Lyra.

"You're sure you should take the girl?" Faa asked, turning back to his companion.

"Something tells me I'll need her." Coram replied.

You both took notice of both men as they began to walk away. No one smiled or waved at the other, you just watched them walk away as you kept pace with Lyra. Pan was trotting along side her as an arctic fox.

"Quite something, all this." He said, looking up at Lyra.

"My whole life I've wanted to be here, and now that I'm here, I'm not so sure I want to be." Lyra said, looking around.

"Oh Lyra, I have no idea what will happen past this point, but make the most of this trip, for good or for bad. Who knows when you'll get to see all this again." You sighed. "I wish we were here under different circumstances though." You looked around. "I can't quite bring myself to enjoy being here right now."

"Yeah, me too." She sighed. You looked at each other and smiled.

"Lyra."

You both turned around to see Farder Coram coming over. You both came to a stop, daemons at your sides, and let him approach, curious as to what he was going to say. Surely, he and Faa had come up with a plan.

"A word, please."

He didn't say anything as you trailed behind them, not wanting to leave Lyra's side just yet. Neither one of you knew anyone from this town, and thought you trusted Coram, you just wanted to be careful.... and not be by yourself for the time being.

"I need to know if I can trust in your readings of the alethiometer. How do you decipher it?"

That questions peeked your interest.

"I kind of feel them or see them." Lyra said. "It's like... like going down a ladder at night. You put your foot down, and there's another rung Well, I put my mind down, and there's another meaning. I sort of... sense what they mean. It's got a trick in it." She explained. "Sort of like focusing your eyes."

"Interesting." You said, louder than you thought. Lyra turned around and smiled at you. you smiled back.

"So say you wanted to ask the alethiometer what your parents are doing now?" Coram asked.

"Well, the Madonna is Mrs Coulter."

"Ah. The Madonna, is it?" Coram chuckled softly.

"And for Asriel, it would be the globe." Lyra opened up her pocket where she was keeping the alethiometer. "So I think of my parents when I put my hand there." She opened it up and showed Coram. "And... then I got for the ant because that means busy."

"But how do you know what these meanings are?" He asked her.

You tried not too stare to long, but you could see people looking over curiously. Of course they would, they didn't know who any of you were. A couple of voices caught Coram's attention, however, and he looked up to see some members from the Magisterium.

"The Magisterium. Put it away, Lyra."

Lyra put it back in her pocket quickly. Coram and yourself made it look like you were talking to one another, with Lyra between you, trying to look less suspicious. They passed by.

Coram led you both away.

"You understand, the man we're going to see is important."

"Yes."

"The Witch Consul is a link, between the human world and the witches. He will decide whether to pass our message on." Coram explained.

"And we need the witches."

"Yes, but he'll want to know everything. The Consul is the only way to contact the witches, and he must trust us first, but if he does, a witch called Serafina Pekkala will surely come to our aid. With her help, we will find the children." The three of you climbed up several sets of wooden stairs to reach a house.

"You mean she'll lead us to Roger?" Lyra asked.

"Yes. Just follow my lead." He replied. "Keep that thing hidden, OK?"

Coram knocked on the door.

The door opened revealing a bald man who was slightly shorter than Coram. Dr Lanselius was his name. He was wearing a grey suit. He let you all in when he realised who was at his door. Lyra came to stand beside you once you were all inside.

"How can I help you, Farder Coram?"

"I met a witch some years ago in the Fen country of Eastern Anglia. Her name was Serafina Pekkala. I wish to get a message to her." Coram explained.

"I'm aware of your relationship with Serafina Pekkala, Farder Coram."

"I represent a number of Gyptian families who have lost children. We believe there is an organisation that is capturing these children, ours and others, and taking them north. We need her help to get them free."

You followed Dr Lanselius into the next room as he carried a tea tray into there. He set the tray down on a small coffee table and poured the drinks. The three of you sat down in the vacant seats, Lyra once again staying close to you.

"Well... you realise that relations between the witches and the authorities are... perfectly cordial." He passed the drinks out one by one. "It is my job to keep them that way."

"You refer... to the Magisterium."

"This fight is not ours." His daemon, in the form of a small green snake, came slithering over his shoulder.

"They are stealing children." Coram argued. "This is war for all of us. And I know Serafina will want to be part of it."

"The children to not remain here for long." Dr Lanselius said, sitting up a little. "They are taken some distance inland."

"Do you know what happens to them there?" Lyra asked.

"I've heard variously of the Maystadt process, or an... intercision. The process is shrouded in secrecy, but the rumours are disturbing. There's a reason why you don't see a child on the streets of Trollesund. We, too, have felt the effects of missing children."

An unsettling feeling came over you.

"Then I will leave you to let Serafina know what we ask of her. Come." Coram looked at you and Lyra. You placed your mug down and stood up, offering a small smile to your host. Lyra and Coram did the same.

"I understand you are in possession of an alethiometer." Dr Lanselius stood up and looked at Lyra.

How did he know?

"I have eyes everywhere in Trollesund." He said.

You shared a nervous glance with Coram.

"Yes." Lyra confirmed.

"May I look at it?" He asked.

Lyra opened her pocket and took it out, stepping closer to him and showing him the alethiometer. He took it from her delicately, looking down at the compass within.

"It's exquisite." He looked up at her slowly. "Do you possess the books of readings?" He asked.

Suddenly your grew nervous again.

"Actually... I can read it." She told him, giving an aura of confidence.

"You are very wise to say so." He side eyed Coram. "How?" He asked firmly, looking back at Lyra.

"I just can." She said, smiling at the alethiometer in his hands.

"Well... I wonder if I might ask to see you do so." He walked over to a door in the corner, opening it. "Down here, there are many sprigs of cloud-pine. Which one belongs to Serafina Pekkala?" He asked her.

You looked at Coram, still feeling a little nervous about this man. He just didn't sit right with you, perhaps that was just because you didn't know him. You followed them all down into the small basement room. There were many shelves and jars in there.

"I can summon the witches through cloud-pine." Dr Lanselius said. "Each spray of cloud-pine is specific to a witch."

Lyra, with the alethiometer in hand, began to do her thing.

"Show us which one is Serafina Pekkala's."

The two gentlemen and yourself remained by the stairs as you watch Lyra move around the room slowly. The alethiometer in her hands was doing it's thing. You had faith in her skills and knew that she could use that special device. She came to a stop on the left side of the room and reached out, carefully picking up the jar she came to.

"This one's hers." She said, walking over to him and holding it up.

He stepped off the stairs and went over to her, taking the jar in his hand and looking at it.

You smiled at Lyra as you came over to them, she smiled back. You knew she could it. The doctor looked impressed. He knew she had chosen correctly.

In the middle of the room was a table with a single book. He walked around the other side of it and gestured you all to come closer.

"I'd like to give you something to take away with you." He took a small bit of sprig from the jar and put it into a small vial, sealing it inside and handing it over. "Carry this spray with you, and if you ever truly need her... she will come."

Lyra took the vial from him.

"Dr Lanselius, may I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What question should we be asking you that we are not?" Lyra asked, narrowing her gaze on him. He looked amused by her question.

"You're weak." He said. "You may have heart, but the Magisterium have muscle. I would ask where I could obtain the services of an armoured bear."

"I understand the armoured bears answered to nobody." You said, finally bringing thought to word.

"There is at least one who does. An exile." Dr Lanselius told you. "He shamed his people, but be warned- his skill with metal makes him useful to the town. They don't like strangers knowing about him or interfering in his affairs. You'll find him beside Einarsson's Bar. But to get him away will take some doing. His name... is Iorek Byrnison."

With all said and done, Dr Lanselius showed you all out.

Lyra looked up at you.

"Are really going to see an armoured bear?" She asked excitedly.

"Seems like it, but this could prove to be difficult. If what Dr Lanselius said is true, then we are really going to have to convince this Iorek Byrnison." You smiled at her. "Pretty cool though, right? Knowing there's an armoured bear here."

"Yeah. I've heard so much about them."

"Let's go then." Coram said, smiling at you both. Lyra took the lead as you walked away from the house and back into town, finding the bar Dr Lanselius had mentioned before.

There was a small alley, mucky and cold. To the left, a blacksmiths, to the right, the bar. It wasn't the most welcoming of places, and if Iorek really was here, then you felt sorry for him. This was no place for someone as grand as an armoured bear... even exiled ones, in your opinion. You all walked cautiously down the alley.

"Iorek Byrnoison!" Coram called out.

There was loud deep growl from further in.

You all moved into the alley some more, cautious of your surroundings. Just ahead was dark area. You were sure the growling was coming from within there. You all came to a stop when the growling got particularly loud. Lyra looked up at you, slightly nervous. She was well aware of what an armoured bear was. He clearly didn't sound too happy to be disturbed.

"Iorek Byrnison, can we talk with you?" Coram asked. "We wish to offer you employment."

"I am employed." A deep voice replied.

"We need fighters, or... in all probability, we will. We're going north will we fine the place where children are being kept captive. When we find them, there will surely be a battle."

Iroek growled again.

"What do you do  in the metalworks?" You asked, trying to help Coran coax the bear out.

"I mend the broken machinery." Iorek replied. His snout became visible from shadows, poking out from the barrels ahead of you. This was progress. "I lift heavy objects."

"And what kind of work is that for a panserbjorn?" Lyra asked.

Iorek roared.

"If you'll excuse me saying, Iorek Byrnison... you could be living free and proud on the ice, hunting seal and walrus, or going to war, winning great prizes." You told him.

He growled again.

"I know the people you are seeking." Iorek stepped out of his hiding spot. He was grand in every sense of the word. You felt honoured to be witnessing him in all his glory. "The child cutters."

Child cutters?

"People of this town, they pretend not to see, but I see." Iorek kept on coming closer. You could see the scars on his nose, going up to his right eye.

"And are you a coward like they are?" Lyra asked him, not looking him in the eye. Coram looked at Lyra, concerned.

"A coward?" He roared. He kept on coming, stepping out into the light, drawing closer to you all. He came close to Lyra, leaving only inches between them. She remained in place, standing still. Iorek gave a growl and jerked forwards slightly, attempting to frighten her. She jumped a little, but did not back down.

"We need you." She told him.

"I am not for sale." Iorek turned around and went back into the shadows, done with this conversation.

You placed a hand on Lyra's shoulder.

"Don't despair. We can try again later." You looked at Coram, but he didn't say anything. You all turned around and went back the way you came. You all returned to the boats. Lyra went in search for a warmer coat, Coram and yourself following behind her.

"Lyra the way you spoke to that bear, he could have torn your throat out." Coram said, watching her go through her choices. What she was a very brave thing, and she was able to walk away and talk about it.

"And you could've imprisoned me and sold me back to Mrs. Coulter." She replied, looking at a coat she picked out. She put it back. "I know who to trust, Farder Coram."

"But if you're wrong, you could do yourself damage." He told her.

"Oh come on." You uttered. "Trust Lyra some more. She has a keen eye. Iorek Byrnison brought her no harm, she walked away. I'm impressed." You smiled at her, winking in her direction.

Lyra chuckled.

"I'd do myself.... more damage not trusting anyone." She said, trying on a coat. "What happened between you and Serafina?" She asked, deciding this was the coat she wanted. You turned to Coram curiously, wanting to know too.

"We loved each other." Coram said softly.

"You loved a witch?"

He nodded. "We had a child. A son. There was an epidemic. There was nothing we could do. He died. And she wanted to rip the world apart... fly to Yambe-Akka, fight her... if that's what it took to get him back. I wanted to mourn in peace. Haven't seen her since... after we buried my boy." He voice began to break. You moved to him and placed an arm around him, your heart breaking for him.

You had no idea. He had never told you any of this before.

"I'm so sorry, Farder Coram." Lyra whispered, reaching out and placing her hand on his.

"It was a long time ago." He said, smiling at Lyra solemnly. He reached out an caressed her cheek, silently thanking her for her comfort. He gave you a smile and grabbed your hand, squeezing it gently.

He was grateful to have you both there with him.

Tags:

@awyr @fandombeehive @charmed-asylum  @sigynbandraoi-blog @procrastinatingmurder  @beebofrank13 @gemellath @eagleandthebutterfly  @kpopgirlbtssvt @raeofstarshine @melancholicsthings @ettorah @iaintnofurry @thatkindofgurl @curse-brekker

[aion-rsa]

His Dark Materials Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Tower of the Angels

https://ift.tt/3fLqzWj

This His Dark Materials review contains spoilers.

The sweet spot of any fantasy adaptation is the point it becomes as compulsive to watch as the books are to read, and season two just arrived there. The episode ended with the major players all set to convene on the same location, raising anticipation for next week’s Cittàgazzan Royal Rumble. If, after the credits rolled, it had only been a matter of turning the page, we’d all surely already be deep into the next chapter.

‘Tower of the Angels’ delivered so many moments long in the coming, it was handing out gifts with almost every scene: Will becoming the bearer of the knife, Mary’s paradigm-shifting revelation about Dust, the arrival proper of Stanislaus Grumman/Col. John Parry/Jopari (a character teased ever since Lord Asriel displayed what he thought was his frozen head all the way back in the season one opener). It was payoff after payoff, and all of it preparing the way for more madness to come.

The episode belonged to Amir Wilson, whose character went from companion to hero in his own right. With his own magical object and his own prophesied destiny, Will Parry is now Lyra’s equal, not the Scarecrow to her Dorothy. Wilson was a match for everything the episode asked of him, even holding his own against a screen presence like Terence Stamp as Giacomo Paradisi, the knife’s previous bearer, who functioned as Will’s Yoda training him in the ways of the force. 

More satisfying than watching Will master the knife was seeing his and Lyra’s relationship develop. Their bickering and her posturing were replaced by a new intimacy this episode. Lyra guiding Will to accept his pain rather than ignore it showed wisdom most of the adults in this series – and certainly her parents – have yet to reach. The way she mirrored Roger in the backwards-walking bath towel delivery scene showed her reproducing affection she’d been shown, and rebuilding the sense of closeness she shared with her much-missed best friend. 

Will though, is more than a friend, as shown by the tenderly played moment that Pan approached, and was touched by, him. Lyra’s shock and gentle confusion (“In my world, you’re not supposed to touch someone else’s daemon, but you didn’t do anything wrong”) was well conveyed by Dafne Keen and Pan’s animators. 

Read more

TV

His Dark Materials: Secrets of Cittàgazze and the Meaning of Pan’s Different Forms

By Louisa Mellor

TV

His Dark Materials Now Has One Very Obvious Thing in Common With Game of Thrones

By Kayti Burt

Will earned his hero status through an old-fashioned fight (those boxing lessons paid off) and his purity of spirit. Jopari may not be able to speak for the bearer of the knife’s character, but we can. After spending eight episodes in Will’s company thanks to the liberties this show took with the books’ timeline, we know him to be caring and trustworthy and brave. The subtle knife, forged in hope but ill-used by greed, knows that too. 

The episode’s knife-forging prologue was the closest this series has resembled that other  great screen adaptation of a classic British fantasy– The Lord of the Rings. A powerful object misused by mankind, a tall tower, wraith-like pursuers… These stories all tend to swim in the same sea, so it’s no wonder they occasionally wash up on each other’s shores. The voice narrating the prologue, by the way, sounded very like that of Sophie Okonedo, who, book fans, has been cast as the as-yet-unseen character of Xaphania.

We may have heard that voice, or at least a computerised version of it, a second time this episode. Will wasn’t the only one who was tested before being given something powerful this week; Mary proved herself worthy of the Shadows’ trust when she refused the offer of Defence funding for her research. (Her facial expression in response to Boreal’s cringe-worthy “I’ve always admired women with a good work ethic” by the way, was priceless. Those two really are from different worlds.) 

By kicking ‘Charles Latrom’ out of the office, Mary showed herself unmotivated by personal greed, and was rewarded with that life-altering revelation. Shadows are Dust, and Dust is Angels. Aeons ago, angels bestowed consciousness on mankind. Their reason? Vengeance. Perhaps don’t try explaining that one to Oliver, Mary, he’d have you committed. 

Vengeance was also the Witches’ mission. They hit the Magisterium’s fleet of airships like a lethal swarm, delivering floaty payback carnage. Now they’re through the anomaly and they’re not the only ones. Mrs Coulter is already in Cittagazze (what’s scarier, her or the Spectres?), and Lee and Jopari are on their way.

That new double act works. Andrew Scott’s unusual intensity (it’s all about unbroken eye contact, watch how he does it) is balanced by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s motor-mouth energy. One’s strange and otherworldly, the other’s fast-talking, hot-headed and warm-hearted. Just listen to the upbeat musical cues that accompany Lee and Hester, it’s as if in his presence, the show is momentarily able to breathe out and relax. Lee’s that rare thing in His Dark Materials, an adult we can unreservedly trust.

And the Shaman? We can certainly trust his neat summation of the story’s thematic conflict: 

“There are two forces that have always been at war with each other: those who repress and command, who don’t want us to be conscious, enquiring beings, and those who want us to know more, to be stronger and wiser, to explore. Those two forces are lining up to battle as we speak.”

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Let battle commence.

The post His Dark Materials Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Tower of the Angels appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/33r7PX7

[amlinzey-thesis-blog]

2.5.18 // Logline // Character Development // Treatment

Genre :: Rites of Passage // Historical Fantasy // Romance Dramatic Premise :: !!! ???? !!! Message the audience leaves with: What is meant to be, will be. Longline:: Two soulmates search for each other through centuries as they race time in order to reach their happily ever after. Who are your characters?: ///////// Immortal \\\\\\\\ Name: Amari Really Rough Backstory: She is one of the Immortals of this world, sustained by the earth’s magic. She goes through her life callously and is only momentarily fascinated by the changes around her. Personality Traits: Inpatient, Stubborn, Loyal, Kind Hearted What is she like at the beginning of the story? She pays little to no attention to time or its passing. Always assuming there is another day, another hour, another second. What is she like at the end of the story? She learns that she needs to “stop and smell the roses” once she realizes that she has now missed her chance to appreciate what matters most. How is that change visualized? She slows down, in a way. This also goes along with the hopelessness that she feels with the repeated loss of Lyra and the failure to trigger her memories, but she keeps going and going and going until she can’t anymore. When she thinks “all is lost” we see her reflect and think before making her next move, something that she didn’t do very much with every version of Lyra because she thought there's always next time. What is her dramatic need? To be accepted, to be loved, and to not be forgotten. ///// Incarnate \\\\\\\\\ Name: Lyra Really Rough Backstory: She is one of the reincarnating souls of this world, one of the few who come back time and time again. More often than not, she feels the gap of something missing in life and tends to do many things to fill that hole. Personality Traits: Quiet, Grumpy, Patient, Proactive What is she like at the beginning of the story? Incarnate is lost and repeating, doing the same thing over and over again but with different surroundings. What is she like at the end of the story? With her memories of all of their past meetings, Incarnate is more whole and her experience allows her to grow and break out of the cycle. How is that change visualized? Lyra has a lot of the same animations, the same actions, the same looks. Possibly even the same shots/angles of shorts throughout their meetings. Her outfits are all reminiscent of themselves in contrast to the growing/shifting style of Amari. Lyra always perfectly fits the era’s most popular fashion, blending into the crowd seamlessly. Once she regains her memories, something in her appearance changes, and she stands out from the crowd a little bit more, and her animation/shot will be different than from what we’ve seen before. What is her dramatic need? To fill the ever-present hole in her heart that she has never understood.

//// OLD TREATMENT (need to be revised) \\\\

The first shot of the shot establishes a time limit. Incarnate’s hand reaches out and flips over the hourglass, or stops it from turning. It looks to be in a house, on a desk, overlooking the country, but very little details are seen. (It is immortal’s house and near the beginning of their relationship where the hourglass hadn’t been enchanted yet?)

It immediately opens up to a train station, then. It is sleek, and sci-fi, and has that almost hospital-like cleanliness to it. Incarnate is now shown on screen for the first time, obviously lost and confused. She is looking around the train station like its a place she can’t understand and isn’t paying attention to where she is going. While looking away, she crashes into someone: Immortal. Immortal falls to the ground, her very old (and by contrast, very dirty) briefcase falling and bursting open. The briefcase itself is a token of time. It is essentially an antique and where most people carry very small bags that only hold clothing and the like, Immortal’s large briefcase of luggage looks heavy and clunky. There’s another contrast when the audience can see what is in the contents of the bag:: mementos and photographs. There is a match cut on Incarnate’s face as she looks down and confused at Immortal, holding still.

The next scene starts on the match cut, Incarnate’s shoulders drawn up and face scrunched in discomfort and she is walking down grimy city streets, raining pouring over her head and a flimsy newspaper covering her hair in fruitless effort to keep herself dry. We see a countdown for the crosswalk blinking and her impatient face as the rain gets a little harder, but suddenly it stops, shocking Incarnate. The camera pans out father a little bit to see a familiar face —- immortals —- holding her umbrella over Incarnate’s head and offering to share. The crosswalk man sets to walk and the crowd around them moves, pushing the two of them closer together.

There is another brief interlude here of the hourglass. The magic starts to fill up the top, and we can see cemented layers on the bottom, unmoving, and we start to question what it is about. Some more periodic items surround it then. Or, maybe, this is the start of the second one? And only fantasy and Victorian things are in the frame.

The next scene starts, and immediately it is gloomy and smoky. There are burnt buildings and weapons strew about. The entire place screams “something bad has happened here”. Marching can be heard, and all of that fun stuff and the camera pans to Incarnate who is dressed for war. There might be a portion where the camera looks from the inside, where someone is hiding and looking outwards and we see Incarnate through that. Incarnate notices the movement of the camera POV and looks inward and Immortal comes into view as she hides, obviously hurt and one of the people that Incarnate’s side is trying eliminate. We see the pain on Immortal’s face over this.

The next scene starts with Incarnate walking through a very old, very mysterious looking building. The door is closing and there is the silhouette of someone leaving, leaving just Incarnate in the room as she looks around. She twirls and inspects little trinkets on one of the desks there, clearly only biding her time. She maybe picks up a book, turns it over, and is clearly thinking about reading it when the door opens again, illuminating the room. Incarnate turns, expectant and we see Immortal’s form silhouetted by the light. She quickly turns and closes the door behind her. They reach for each other and dart off behind a hidden doorway holding hands.

Fruit falls on the ground, and in the background, you can see the basket they originated from. The area looks like an old-style bazar or marketplace. There are stands and tents in the background. The camera cuts to Incarnate again, as she rubs at her head and looks dazed. Coming from the side of the screen we see a hand come out to offer help to pick her up, an apologetic Immortal looking down at her, smiling.

We spring back to the Future date, and it's a match cut out the hand holding scene from the first meeting, except reversed as Incarnate is the one helping Immortal up.