>>Not only because Shiv is my favorite feral cat in human form,<<
:D
You know, he smiles like one too, when he's really relaxed and happy, as much as he gets that is. They've never seen it in the prison. But at home, in the lair, sometimes Shiv does that slow eye-blink smile.
>> but because there are so many layers of meaning in the small gestures, and the sometimes even smaller flickers of expression. <<
Shiv really isn't an easy read. He actively hides as much as he can, and comes off as a complete dick at first. But if you have the patience to wait and watch, you can see more slowly revealing itself.
>>He's needed something more than Boss White, who is doing what he can from the distance required by Shiv's sentence in prison,<<
Yes, that's true. But none of the rest would work if it hadn't been for Boss White putting some of the bottom rungs on the ladder. It's that groundwork of continuity and security that helps Shiv respond to later opportunities, even if he doesn't really understand why yet.
>> and this shows not only that someone else is willing to take on the prickly little cuss in ways similar to Ambrose... <<
Heh, yeah. There are starting to be more people gradually drawn into to the project of getting Shiv up on his feet.
It's still the second-most effective way of dealing with supervillains that I've seen. (The first is prevention.) If you can get them connected with other people, sometimes you can pull them off the black cape, and other time, at least shift them toward saner and less destructive practices. It's harm-reduction in action, and it benefits everyone. Because if all you do is lock them up and piss on them some more, then they tend to break out pretty fast -- and they're in an even worse mood when they do it.
>>but that he WANTS that, and is finally beginning to see Ambrose as something other than a temporary ally.<<
I think Shiv feels that but doesn't know it and that fuels a lot of his confusion. *laugh* He's reacting to his support crew a lot like he does to Microfyne: "Oh this feels so good but now I'm getting attached to it attachments are bad they always hurt why can't I stop petting this?"
Re: Squee! I have been waiting for this!
:D
You know, he smiles like one too, when he's really relaxed and happy, as much as he gets that is. They've never seen it in the prison. But at home, in the lair, sometimes Shiv does that slow eye-blink smile.
>> but because there are so many layers of meaning in the small gestures, and the sometimes even smaller flickers of expression. <<
Shiv really isn't an easy read. He actively hides as much as he can, and comes off as a complete dick at first. But if you have the patience to wait and watch, you can see more slowly revealing itself.
>>He's needed something more than Boss White, who is doing what he can from the distance required by Shiv's sentence in prison,<<
Yes, that's true. But none of the rest would work if it hadn't been for Boss White putting some of the bottom rungs on the ladder. It's that groundwork of continuity and security that helps Shiv respond to later opportunities, even if he doesn't really understand why yet.
>> and this shows not only that someone else is willing to take on the prickly little cuss in ways similar to Ambrose... <<
Heh, yeah. There are starting to be more people gradually drawn into to the project of getting Shiv up on his feet.
It's still the second-most effective way of dealing with supervillains that I've seen. (The first is prevention.) If you can get them connected with other people, sometimes you can pull them off the black cape, and other time, at least shift them toward saner and less destructive practices. It's harm-reduction in action, and it benefits everyone. Because if all you do is lock them up and piss on them some more, then they tend to break out pretty fast -- and they're in an even worse mood when they do it.
>>but that he WANTS that, and is finally beginning to see Ambrose as something other than a temporary ally.<<
I think Shiv feels that but doesn't know it and that fuels a lot of his confusion. *laugh* He's reacting to his support crew a lot like he does to Microfyne: "Oh this feels so good but now I'm getting attached to it attachments are bad they always hurt why can't I stop petting this?"