⚙️FOUR WIZARDS, pp. 202-209⚙️

A selection of the latest comic pages! More precisely, the second part of the attic scene (you can read the first part via the link at the top of the message).

I'm putting together such selections because the pages come out slowly one by one, and there's no way to appreciate the whole scene at once. This way, at least you can refresh your memory 😁

It turned out to be a veeery long dialogue scene, all because the time has come for Madeline's revelation — the very "fourth wizard" from the comic's title. Until now, she had been kind of "hiding" from the reader (viewer?), remaining a mysterious girl from the attic whom everyone is somehow very afraid of and who periodically makes a pompous entrance into the frame, generating an aura of a languid mistress and... not doing much else xD She makes snide remarks, snaps back, and flatly refuses to chill in the same company, while somehow subtly saving everyone from deep trouble or playing the role of a guard dog 🌚 And finally, when two-thirds of the comic are behind us, she steps out of the shadows and shows a bit more depth and character.

What is this scene about overall, and why is there so much chatter?

Generally, Aidan and Madeline (despite their young age) are two very strong and headstrong characters who both clearly know their worth and are not willing to silently swallow someone else's crap. Moreover, they are initially wary of each other — Madeline senses in him a bubbling cauldron of emotions from which she instinctively tries to stay away (I think it's clear why), and Aidan clearly sees before him a rude and prickly person who thinks way too highly of herself, but whom (because of her magic) he can't just verbally put in her place, as he constantly does with Brett and other characters. One way or another, circumstances persistently bring them together, forcing them reluctantly to make contact. Aidan simply has nowhere else to go but to keep climbing up to that damned attic, and Madeline, in turn, is forced to react to it. And in the course of this interaction, a lot of various information comes to the surface. About the characters themselves, their personalities, worldviews, survival methods, magical abilities, and finally, their views on the current situation. It took a lot of effort and "failed takes" to fit all of this into one maximally condensed but emotional dialogue. Quite a sweaty job, I must say 😩 And still, in the end, it came out to about 18 pages, I think...

And yes, most likely, a lot remains undisclosed and even causes outright bewilderment. Why does Aidan first evade answers and then suddenly go all-in and insistently demand help from Mad? Why is Madeline so callous in her analysis, and why does she so persistently "dissect" Aidan at the very beginning? Why does she consider him a liar, even though she can perfectly sense when she's being lied to? Why is she so rude to Dominic and Sheru? Why, despite all of Aidan's desperate attempts to reach her, despite all his arguments, pleas, and concessions, does she ultimately still refuse to help him, and even call him a dreamer again? Why does he get so furious and deliberately push her to an emotional breakdown, knowing that she could retaliate with magic in a way that would make things ugly? What is that crack on the column? Why is Madeline so furious? Why and for what exactly does A.J. apologize at the end of the conversation? I deliberately do not give direct answers; I want the reader to analyze this scene on their own.

Actually, I would really love to hear your theories in the comments :D Although I understand that most likely few people will be genuinely interested. At the very least, you can just say whose side you're on. Who do you think is the victim, and who is the pig and aggressor? Or do you think both are right and wrong in their own way? Or maybe you've noticed some interesting details on these pages, for example, at Madeline's workspace, or in Sheru's album, or in the characters' surroundings? What other options did A.J. have, and how will Maddie behave next? In short, it's time to share your opinions and theories about the plot!