Wasn't the one who said ouch Ugin? I'm pretty sure that Nicol Bolas first words were "I'm stuck"
Yeah, rereading it, you are correct. It is Ugin, the "smaller of the two," who said "Ouch," and Bolas's first words were "I'm stuck." Much better...
Having had half a day to reflect on this story after my initial reading, I can say that I dislike pretty much everything about it. I was going to put my professional Lit analysis hat on and go through it to explain why I consider it poorly written and bad for the storyline, but I'm not going to. I've been unhappy literally all day because of this story, and it made me realize a few things about myself.
I've been very negative around here for a while now, and it's because I've invested a lot of myself into Magic's story over the years, and I am personally unhappy with the way that story has been told and the things Creative has been doing. And I'm done with it. Maybe I've just grown too cynical to enjoy a story written to the 13 year old demographic. Maybe I'm sick of a once-fascinating world being, to my perspective, spoiled by corporate focus group think. Maybe my tastes simply lie elsewhere. I don't know, and I don't really care.
I realized today that I haven't enjoyed a canon Magic story in years. Literally in years. I was not enamored with Ixalan the way many of you were; I still can't stand Jace. Knowing what they're doing with Ugin, Tarkir, and the Elder Dragons, knowing that they are going back to Ravnica...I just can't keep doing this. I don't enjoy it anymore, and it's not worth being upset about.
I've said this before, and I'll say it again: to those of you who enjoy the stuff Wizards is putting out there, I am genuinely, unironically, non-sarcastically happy for you. I'm really happy that you are able to derive pleasure and enjoyment from something that I once was able to as well. But I can't anymore. I need to go. I makes me sad to leave. I've been around this community for a long time. I was the very first person to post anything on the AF&S boards on NGA, and it's meant a lot to me. But I don't think you'll be seeing me around AF&S anymore. I'll still be around NGA, just not around here.
I wish you all the best.