The Soul Blade Epilogue - Commentary

Brenna had her talk with Matt, in The Soul Blade Epilogue.

Okay, now it's over.  So many dangling plot points.  But, the last chapter gets some explanations that didn't fit with the direction I was going in.  And Brenna got to talk to Matt properly.  Sort of.

Matt probably should have called first to avoid surprising Brenna.  If he did, he'd never have been able to see flustered!Brenna.  And while Brenna being flustered would add to a NaNoWriMo word count, I wasn't writing the epilogue for a NaNo event.  She's just trying to work out her thoughts and separate them from her desires.  Good thing the door is open and facing the rest of the neighbours.

Nellie's is fictional, but I searched for a typical pub menu in Brenna's area to figure out what the vegetarian offerings are.  Fish and chips is a standard, though, and beat a burger.  I figured Matt wouldn't go for beef when out with Brenna.  He's not oblivious.  The ambiance is generic, but most pubs aren't going to have specialized music mid-afternoon.  Top 40 music is inoffensive, usually, and easy to come by.  Matt can take Brenna to a bar that plays Japanese metal idol on a later date.

There are some quick explanations thrown in.  Why Grace stepped up to fight Brenna instead of letting someone else.  Why Brenna had Matt get closer in the fight.  Why Brenna wears gloves and had a bed in her van.  What the Ashen Man's plan was, though even Grace didn't tell the full story; he was going to open a portal, get his minions to bring his body, transfer back, then sacrifice Brenna.  Grace might have seen that, but didn't tell her sister.

Brenna's psychometry is a plot-breaking ability.  She just has to touch something to get a good read on what events happened with it.  However, it's always on.  Just brushing up against something can trigger a vision.  She gave Matt fair warning about the ability, and she can refrain from looking even when curious.  Try not to think about what happens in hotel rooms.  Best case, Brenna gets a flash of passion.  Worst, well, hotel rooms have been murder scenes, and it's awkward to ask if a crime occurred in the room she's assigned.

I have no idea where Brenna's jealous streak came from.  An early version of Brenna had it, but she was sixteen and had just received the Blade, so the possessiveness came from the sudden increase in sexual desire and her not coping at all with it.  But here?  Brenna doesn't share, apparently.  Tillie is who Matt says she is, someone who gave him advice.  She has her own story, but she didn't get a chance to tell it here, so feel free to make up your own backstory for her.  All characters have a story; some just don't get the time in the spotlight to tell it.

And now, that is it for The Soul Blade.  I hope everyone reading enjoyed it.  A new story starts next week, The Devil You Know, from NaNo 2013.  Since I was able to get The Soul Blade done because of posting it here, I'm going to give that a shot with the new work.  The Devil You Know is an urban fantasy crossed with a spy thriller.  Have fun!

Friday, the first chapter of a new story, The Devil You Know.
Also Friday, over at Psycho Drive-In, a hiatus week.
Saturday, over at The Seventh Sanctum, Mystery Science Theatre 3000: The Return.