Black Butler: Blood Winter - Episode 4

"'The Shattered Family'. The true story of how 'Dr. Calimonstro's Gallery of Human Abominations' came to be finally unfolds. What happened on that lonely battlefield in 1917, and what secrets does the Great War hide?"

So now that all the pieces were set up in part 1, now I can begin to have more fun. I do love ensemble pieces and stories that offer a boon of interplay between characters, and a lot of WW1 set stories, especially trench oriented ones, are a wonderful hive for such stories. One of my favourites is 'Joyeux Noel' (2005), which tells the incredible true story of how both sides stopped fighting to celebrate Christmas in 1914. The camaraderie and conflicts between the soldiers on both sides, and then when they meet up during the celebrations, was one of the film's driving forces and really let you connect with these soldiers. I hope, on a considerably smaller scale of course, that I did the same for Cline and his men, making you buy them as war buddies who, even in the midst of death, are cracking jokes and being amiable.

Speaking of influences, the big chase was my nod to the climax of the original '101 Dalmatians', mixed in with a little from 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. In a sort of strange way, through the writing and pacing of scenes, I almost wanted to recreate the masterful editing and planning of those scenes, bouncing back and forth between the vehicles and their occupants as they both try to reach their goal and will do anything to get it, no matter how difficult or dangerous it is. Even the earlier stuff in the word, subliminally, had a vibe of 'Elephant Man' to them that I noticed after writing.

The bit with Rasputin and Nicholas was actually a later addition, not part of the original treatment. Initially, I wanted Alexei's reasons for sparing the Freaks to be vague, something that maybe you could interpret (pity? practicality? weariness?) but given that I had set up his attitude as oddly open, I felt that needed a resolution, plus it enabled me to once again, bring the other Romanovs more into the narrative and play up the idea of Alexei facing the after effects of his family's decisions and following Rasputin's advice. Being the son of Emperor can lead to a wide range of consequences, and I wanted to give Alexei that emotional baggage, that sort of regret and remorse when compared to the canon masters.

Here is a map of the Eastern front during WW1. Galicia, not to be confused with a northern region of Spain and my ancestral homeland, is located in the south of Poland: www.westpoint.edu/history/Site…

---- NEXT EPISODE -----
At last, Alexei has caught up with the Mad Monk in Warsaw, now running a secretive cult that is immensely popular among the higher rungs of society. But what are his true motives, and what will Alexei do when the chance for vengeance finally rears its head?
Next time on 'Blood Winter': A House Built On Sin.
'Well Majesty, what is your wish?'
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All episodes here: savagescribe.deviantart.com/ga…

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