More Columbina Roland

More Columbina Roland

I'll make a full Black Silence mode Columbina eventually.

Marisa goes to jail

Happy belated birthday Arlecchino!

is that garnets hair

Thinking about Fischl, specifically in reference to The Wizard of Oz

I used to think that that was what she was primarily referencing, but there were some very well-written dissections connecting her more to Norse mythology and stuff

But why don't I just do it anyway? It's just for fun either way

But before I get to Fischl, I want to connect some other relevant characters to Oz as well. Mostly people that are paired with Fischl often: Noelle, Bennett, and Barbara. Unfortunately, no Razor. I don't know where to fit him in, so I figured keeping him out would be more respectful than making him fuckin Toto.

NOELLE as The Scarecrow

The Scarecrow's issue is that he wants to be wise, but he, quite literally, lacks the brains to be so. Of course, the twist is that, even without a brain, he had wisdom all along. I feel like that encapsulates Noelle very well. Her deal is that she wants to be a Knight of Favonius, but she never makes the cut. So she constantly studies and helps others, trying to gain a "brain," if you will. Of course, my reading (/headcanon) is that she was always capable enough to be a Knight, and it was an external issue that stopped her. A bonus point is that, in the book, the Scarecrow is a stand-in for the common farmer, looked down upon for not being "educated," but has the valuable skill of common sense. And I think we can extend that metaphor to low ranking jobs, like maids. You see where I'm going with this.

BENNETT as the Tin Woodsman

The Woodsman, while kind and gentle, desires a heart, so he can feel love. Bennett, because of his bad luck, feels like he drives everyone away, and he is in search of friends and connections. He wants people to like him, and just like the Woodsman, they both always had it from the very beginning.

BARBARA as the Cowardly Lion

This one's a doozy. The Cowardly Lion wishes to have courage like how lions are commonly portrayed. Barbara is of the Gunnhildr clan, (also associated with lions) but she was never able to display the strength necessary to satisfy her mother. So she always felt like she came short of the expectation of what she should have been. But even now, as a Pegg and a pacifist, she has always been worthy. She displays her noble nature through her kindness and compassion for helping others.

(Mihoyo did her dirty and she deserves better)

FISCHL as Dorothy AND The Wizard of Oz

Fischl is complicated because I feel like she is able to embody both Dorothy and the titular Wizard, Oz. In Oz, Fischl likes to portray herself as the great and powerful Prinzessin, but in reality, she is acting out that role. Now, the book paints Oz out as a conman, the adult who tells lies, but I'd rather not say that's what Fischl is. What she is doing is harmless, and she should be allowed to do it. Where you might put the conman part is in people's reactions to her. Her parents most certainly don't support her Fischl side, feeling like "the lie" has gone on too long. And that brings us to Dorothy, the young girl from Kansas, swept up by a tornado, who just wants to go home. "Home," in Fischl's case, isn't literal (one would sure hope not), but rather a place where she can be herself and be respected for what she chooses to do with her life. The Found Family, mwah 🤌 And the way home had been by her side all along.

Looking at this, I'm wondering how much of this is intentional, because it hasn't escaped me that a tornado was the inciting incident that lead Dorothy to The Land of Oz. And... well... Mondstadt. The place associated with wind. Yeah.

Anyway, not sure if you can connect other characters to the book, but I'll always encourage others to try.

I can't wait for a 9 page essay on how Diluc is the Bumpy Man. 👍