YtD 2 FAQ
Hello! I've been gone for exams and final projects. But now I have a bunch of free time to write and refine things. On a critical note, I'm happy to see that the second story got better received- no 'please get an editor' community tags, and plenty of favorites and follows. Well, plenty for someone like me. I hope I can continue to produce good work in the future- I know I still have my kinks to work out; I'm no good at endings, for one!
But, I promised an FAQ a month ago, I think. Here go the questions I received.
What's the meaning behind the story title? Why a year?
Well, according to certain police procedures:
Police Officer II. A Police Officer I who completes one and one‑half years of service must be automatically advanced.
A Police Officer I is a probationary officer who automatically advances to Police Officer II upon successful completion of his/her probationary period. A Police Officer may be assigned to a foot beat, a black and white patrol car, bicycle patrol, Mounted Unit, a two-wheel motorcycle or a specialized unit such as S.W.A.T… [and] is considered as a probationary officer and placed under the supervision of a higher ranking officer, normally a Police Officer III Field Training Officer.
Nick had a year to go because that's the rules for new cops. Detective trainees can't be on probation:
Detective Trainee-Defined. A Detective Trainee is a Police Officer III who performs in all areas of investigation such as burglary, robbery, and forgery under the close direction of an experienced detective for the purpose of exposing the officer to investigative techniques used in the field; performs preliminary and follow‑up investigations, gathers evidence, prepares reports, obtains complaints, makes arrests and testifies in court; and performs related duties
Detectives. The Probationary Detective Performance Checklist, Form 01.87.05, shall be completed for probationary detectives. Detective supervisors shall evaluate performance on an ongoing basis and regularly document the progress on the Checklist. Each probationary detective must complete the training by being signed off as "Competent" in all of the categories and tasks by the end of the six-month probationary period.
Since Nick continues to hurt his own career in order to help Judy's, what kind of friend is she to still take advantage of his actions?
The Ace Detective Hopps sees her taking the job as paying Nick back for his hard work. Saying no would mean denying the favors he took to get her a slot in the Detective position in the first place, and Judy won't stand that. She also wanted the spot in the first place- just not alone. She was waiting for Nick to finish his probation before they tried out for spots.
Judy is awfully calm for someone having gone through a fire and getting pawed at. Did you forget to write reactions to those events?
No- in my head, Judy is pushing them away and focusing on her job. If Judy devoted herself to being a cop at such a young age, then she'd know what to expect at that point. Anything bad would just be part of the job, something that she has to learn and grow from- in her head, at least. She's a big believer in good being difficult.
She does have some symptoms of PTSD though, no matter how much she pushes things away. Lack of sleep, black-and white thinking… Nick has the mood swings and depression. They're working through it, in their own ways.
What happened to Liam, that rabbit from the first one?
He's in jail, court case done and everything. He's just an old man at the end of the day, with a small amount of power that was easy to take away. But that was the point- Nick led her to Liam's area so she could get an easy recommendation. Nick would have to take down the Rainforest Gang anyway, so why not help out the one who got him the job too?
How's Nick know so much about drugs for a small-time swindler?
It's something Nick is familiar with growing up and being around the smaller mammal gangs- poison gives an edge in a fight, or in an assassination. For instance, he knows Panya's drug of choice in stabbings is sodium thiopental.
Where did a bunch of mice get lethal poison?
Adisha, from a long time ago. Remember Mason's rats? They got their doses from an outside source, and Panya took the opportunity to take some from them.
Where there any themes or motifs?
'Rise above'. Tabby is a drunk partially because drinking is something fun to do, Panya uses poison to have an edge, while they and the other main characters are trying to make their lives better. Mason wishes people could rise above stupidity and empathy, Nick wants more money and opportunity for the little guy, Judy wants prestige and security for the downtrodden, Panya wants public opinion to change, and more opportunity for murids.
Shani, Panya, Adisha… What's with those names? They're out of place.
They're pseudonyms, or most of them are. Panya is Swahili, a girl's name meaning mouse. Shani is Hebrew and Hindi, meaning red for the former and the latter being the namesake of a god in Hindi theology. Apara is Nigerian/Yourba, meaning 'he who comes and goes'. Adisha means 'without direction', and is Hindi. Mason is from the city, as is Panya. Adisha is a foreigner.
What's the motivation for the gangers? They want to raise train prices? Isn't that silly?
It's odd, I think, and transportation fares changing is something that happens often enough that it might work without causing a huge uproar or investigation- blame it on rising cost of train maintenance, new equipment, etc. The idea was to raise the price just a little bit, the gang that accomplished that taking that extra cash as income for themselves.
Mason just wants more money and power, keeping his little empire growing- same as Adisha. They rationalize everything they do and how they treat people as helping them do more than they could normally, either due to lack of education or ability. It's kinder to use people as tools- something productive- than let them sit around and do nothing, in their minds.
Panya is keen on making things better for their community. Murids have a very quick breeding cycle, and the ones Judy's met aren't keen on birth control. Too many mouths to feed, not enough money, people get desperate. Panya is one such person. They're determined to make things better using the tools available to them. Murids are split on whether that means getting smarter and eventually getting better jobs, or taking whatever job is available just to feed their families. A lot of Panya's followers are disaffected students and workers. She fancies herself a hero, a little bit- the one person doing something of worth.
Why the focus on mental health? Why not more action or investigation?
I felt that the mental effect of events are not often explored in stories, that heroes tend to brush it off or not bring it up again unless it's the climax of the story and the plot says there needs to be a mental breakdown. People who regularly go through stressful situations- firefighters, cops, paramedics- are going to have some residual effects from everything they experience, even if they end up being minor. Having Nick's arc focus on the effects, for me, shows a different side to his character and explores the difficulties in the job also wanted to show that even if someone goes through a horrible situation, it can be worked through and conquered- Nick isn't letting his problems keep him completely down.
And with action scenes- my mindset right now is to keep them sparse, so that when they do happen, it's not just the next bad guy and his mooks, it's something dangerous. Do it too much and it becomes boring, right?
Will there be more stories?
Yes. I aim to write more main ones, maybe a few side stories and drabbles. I'm open to requests and things y'all feel should happen.
Will the new stories be as depressing?
No! Life has highs and lows. Nick and Judy are just getting through a low point. Nick is trying to get and keep Judy at a high point by the end of this one.
I'll add any more pertinent questions if they come along. For now, I'm going to finish writing the new stories. I hope it'll exceed everyone's expectations!