Character Development: Emil

[Vafhudr]

I mean Emil has been doing this since at the very least the Train Attack scene, so this is completely in line with what has been shown so far.

[thorny]

we (the readers) were told and shown that he is/can be a jerk, but then soon after we see that he does things that completely contradict the "jerk" mold.

Some people really are jerks in some circumstances, and genuinely heroic in other circumstances.

For that matter, I've known people who would get all worked up, loudly, over extremely minor things, but in any real emergency would become calm reliable rocks that could be leaned on.

Humans are weird, and complicated.

[Springtimehappiness]

Some people really are jerks in some circumstances, and genuinely heroic in other circumstances.

For that matter, I've known people who would get all worked up, loudly, over extremely minor things, but in any real emergency would become calm reliable rocks that could be leaned on.

Humans are weird, and complicated.

Very good point! Emil definitely seems to be a good example of this.

[Róisín]

Likewise. People surely are complicated, and weird with it. And they get upset about the strangest things, and are brave about things equally strange. I love people, but I doubt that I will ever understand them.

[Antillanka]

Anyway, I bet he wouldn't have complained about funky smells in this moldy old house even if Sigrun had been there to hear it.... He's grown so much ;v; *proud sniffle*

[Dilandu]

Anyway, I bet he wouldn't have complained about funky smells in this moldy old house even if Sigrun had been there to hear it.... He's grown so much ;v; *proud sniffle*

Unless as in attempt to cheer up the atmosphere.

[Sunflower]

This is what intrigued me about Emil right away. How we (the readers) were told and shown that he is/can be a jerk, but then soon after we see that he does things that completely contradict the "jerk" mold. We knew right away he was, and is, one of those characters with very deep, hidden depths. I am so happy he has come this far in being able to be himself around people who care for him. I look forward to his growth in the future.

Anyway, I bet he wouldn't have complained about funky smells in this moldy old house even if Sigrun had been there to hear it.... He's grown so much ;v; *proud sniffle*

I know!  When I consider what I wrote about him in kicking off this thread, over 3 years ago, I feel I really short-changed him:

Emil Vasterstrom.  Oh, Emil.  Our favorite gasbag and clueless pretty-boy.  If he feels self-conscious, it may be because he somehow senses thousands of readers glued to the one-way glass, eagerly waiting for him to be ridiculous (or sparkly) again.

Richard Weir kicked off the Character Development series with these questions:
What developments do we see in [this] character? What life lessons does he learn? What do his actions and words tell us about his personality and past?

Oh, my, the young gentleman has a lot of life lessons to learn, starting with not being arrogant, presumptuous, and condescending.  Especially to new teammates whose skills and life experience could surpass his, even if they do come from some impoverished foreign backwater.  Or to petty functionaries with the power to confiscate his precious, precious explosives.  Or train guards who are all incredible badasses under those Jolly Coachman uniforms.  We haven't yet seen Emil defer to anyone.  So I don't have a good feeling about his interactions with Captain Eide, whose madcap expressions in preview shots imply that she won't have much patience for His Pompousness.

On the other hand, Emil is genuinely fond of his little cousins, and they of him, which is endearing.  He can't be worrying about his dignity all the time if their favorite game is "hairdresser salon."  Besides, a strong sense of noblesse oblige isn't always bad.  He went charging into the Breach because he thought Lalli needed rescuing.  And... (thinks hard)... on the Mora train he quietly fetched more sandwiches for the Hotakainens after Lalli ate the filling from his.  (OK, the plot's going to require lots more redemption for Emil.)

His motivations are pretty transparent: Money and glory.  And explosions.  Oh, and looking fabulous.  He has very little curiosity about the mission or the Silent World (despite being a self-proclaimed "brainiac").

Curiously for someone so into his own looks, he doesn't seem interested in impressing anyone else (ladies OR gentlemen).  I like to think that Emil has his life all planned out; when he's 30, he intends to find a bride of suitable breeding, wealth, and beauty, and until then devote himself to his career. 

I'll be deeply interested to see how the first troll encounter changes him.  I'd like to think he becomes a wiser and more prudent Cleanser, not deeply phobic or a total braggart about how he, personally, gave that troll its last, fatal blow.  But -- naaaah.

[Antillanka]

I know!  When I consider what I wrote about him in kicking off this thread, over 3 years ago, I feel I really short-changed him:

From land to sky, as we say around here ^^

[LooNEY_DAC]

Watch this space, as it looks like there's Incoming Backstory ahead.

[LooNEY_DAC]

On Emil and nannies:

I think Emil recognized (perhaps without formulating it in words) that the nannies watching over him only pretended to care about him, which is why he's been acting so bratty toward the one in his dream. I think he generalized this into a belief that all nannies are like that, which is why he grinned as he did in panel 2 of page 131: he isn't happy that his uncle is in a pickle as much as he's happy that his cousins have run off a phony that they're better off without.

[Sc0ut]

I'm not sure the nannies necessarily didn't care about him, or that this is what informs his behavior. Some of his reactions are pretty standard for children whose parents or caretakers coddle them too much ("I'm too old for a nanny" - which, incidentally, he is). I think what spoiled him is getting too much of the wrong kind of attention (material luxuries) vs spending time with his father or being encouraged to take care of himself in a more age-appropriate way.

Edit: though maybe this dream is based on a memory where Emil was much younger, so the "too old for a nanny" no longer applies (and his selfish behavior also becomes a bit more understandable). It's hard to know what to believe with all the layers of magic

[Springtimehappiness]

So Emil's house burnt down and worst of all it looks like he was in the house when it caught flame. He was having dinner so I assume he went to bed after and then boom suddenly in a life and death situation. And considering that there was a decent distance between the buildings and Emil's house, this was a pretty huge fire. The poor lad.

I wonder what happened to his nanny? Also, in order to dream about the fire in the distance Emil must of seen it in real life. So I wonder who told him to not worry about the fire? Was it his nanny? Did he not worry about it because fires happened a lot for some reason or because it was winter and he thought that fires can't spread in winter (that's what I thought for while lol)? Aaaa these series of pages open up so many new questions and I can't wait for them to be answered.

[tulikokko]

I feel like there's a consistency to Emil's "brattiness" and "chivalry" in that the overriding rule is "doesn't deal well with hierarchy". I kind of read him as having natural issues with authority, because he doesn't like it in any sense - he certainly wouldn't be the type to delegate a task he wouldn't do himself. It comes off as insufferable at first but I think his early behaviour was just a poor expression of his strong convictions about respecting people, which we see the good side of more and more.

[thorny]

in order to dream about the fire in the distance Emil must of seen it in real life.

Huh?

I dream about all sorts of things I haven't seen in real life. Some of them couldn't exist in real life.

I agree that he might have actually seen the fire; but his dreaming about it doesn't prove it.

[Springtimehappiness]

Huh?

I dream about all sorts of things I haven't seen in real life. Some of them couldn't exist in real life.

I agree that he might have actually seen the fire; but his dreaming about it doesn't prove it.

I was going to counter but you're right. I was thinking of faces; you can't dream of a face you haven't seen before.