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Post by Professor Albus Dumbledore on Jan 8, 2012 14:55:39 GMT -5
  → don't panic & i'll be there for you !
Ellie and Jooj totally deserve to win this award. I think the magic of these two owl threads (I couldn’t pick just one, because they feel like a set to me) lies in the fact that the intended recipient of all the letters isn’t even responding to them. At first Alice and Lucy offer comfort, but when Sirius doesn’t respond, they start getting a little worried. They try again. And again. And again. You can see the worry and desperation building in each of these girls with each unanswered letter. The tone of their letters turns from gentle coaxing to explosive anger to worried pleading, but you can see that it all comes out of their love for him. When they realize that Sirius isn’t even home to read—and ignore—their letters, they offer him tidbits from their everyday lives, reminding him and themselves that life goes on, even though this is a difficult time for all of them. Lucy babbles about Will and the baby and her family, while Alice idly mentions painting her nails and cutting her hair. Their most poignant letters are probably the shortest of the bunch, with Lucy’s “It’s a boy. I miss you,” and Alice’s “I miss you. A lot. And I’m so worried about you. Please come back.” You can see how much they love him and want him to be there. Their emotions teeter back and forth over the edge as each day (or even hour) passes, but they keep writing because they refuse to give up on him, even though they have no idea where he is or if he’s even still alive. Ellie and Jooj have done a brilliant job taking us on up-and-down ride with their characters, and they should be commended for it. Congrats, you guys.
Soooooo, these owls definitely made me want to cry. Everyone knows that Sirius Black is a mess right now after Marlene's death, and perhaps no one else expresses their worry and love for him more than Alice and Lucy. It's just such a heartbreaking situation, and these two owls really capture it in its entirety. Of course, we want to feel bad for Sirius, but we're also frustrated with him for not responding to the girls and for essentially holing himself up to grieve, ignoring everyone and disappearing. This is a complex situation and a lot of people are hurt for a lot of different reasons, especially these two caring friends who have absolutely no idea what to do to help Sirius. You can feel their desperation and anxiety, their anger and sadness, coursing through both owls, and it totally tugs on the heartstrings, I don't care who you are. Even though it's hard to convey the emotions surrounding a death, not to mention multifold ones surrounding those who have isolated themselves to grieve, Jooj and Ellie did a fantastic job. It feels so fresh and plausible, as if its contents were lifted straight from reality. Honestly, I'm not sure if I've ever read any other owls as touching, or real, as these two. Love you, Ellie and Jooj. You totally deserve this.
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