[1079] Your ancestors were nothing but stories.

I wonder. If people stopped believing in fire elementals, would Annie become fully human? Maybe Anthony was trying to save surma by disbelieving as hard as he could. (Obviously there are huge holes in that plan.)

She looks so small! I like the use of perspective, especially when he is picking her up.

I wonder what Annie will say. What would you guys say?

I can understand the fear/horror that Ys must be experiencing. It's not just that he finds humans superior. It is also the fact that his experience of being sentient is dependent upon somebody else. It reminds me of Flowers for Algernon in a way. It's hard to imagine losing your intelligence.

I think that if Coyote isn't proposing a continuum between material and etherical, with reality as as humans perceive it an "overlay" on existing things material and etherial flows, then Antimony and her ancestors would be impossible. They couldn't be mostly human but they could possibly be humans with strata of beliefs building them up into something else, with their own rules. And that makes me wonder if Antimony's line began with a female human parent instead of a female fire elemental.

Hmm... I am still waiting to see if the other non-human intelligent mortals are "figments" or not... may sound minor but has profound implications for this theory of how the GC universe operates...

I wish I could contribute something intelligent, but there's one question that's keeping me from it:
Do they need the human's believe to sustain them and their powers, or do they not?

Because if they don't, then I'd say, "What does it matter that you were born of this, when you have become so much greater", and that one doesn't need/shouldn't be controlled by his origins. (What does it matter that your parents were criminals if you're the prime example of a good cop?)

a tribe of fire eaters/walkers?

Do they need the human's believe to sustain them and their powers, or do they not?

"The shape of a woman. A spark of inspiration!" gave me a thought. Annie is descended from a fire spirit, right? What if fire spirits don't exist either -- that would mean Annie, in part, doesn't exist!

"...the actual origin of Antimony's line might be obscured by it changing in response to beliefs about how it started...."

An interesting notion. Do you believe perhaps coyote wants this? Do you believe he wants Annie or somebody else in court with a weaker mind to be perturbed and so affected by this information? It has been addressed on this very board that perhaps Kat is gaining something of an etheric being by the robot's belief (also in technical terms of story and theme, Kat being drawn into the forest would prove to be very compelling to the plot i can imagine). Maybe one of the other two mediums-in-waiting could be so affected (we already know coyote has a vested interest and is courting Annie fiercely, why not have the other mediums to throw advantage against the court?)



"...Mort on the other hand might be only a wave in the etherial sea, if he loses his agency for some reason he will probably cease to exist. Or die for keeps this time...."

Mortimer, is beginning to come under my suspicions because of this recent revelation. In terms of story, he is in one of the best positions for betrayal and sabotage (Think of how recently "the fool" character has been in use as the "perfect traitor," and how juicy it would be for Tom to spring a trap by using Coyote (of all people) to have infiltrated Gunnerkrieg and Annie's confidence by using Mort's body). Remember, he first "attacked" antimony because of his lonelyness. Intriguing concept, now that the etheric is now being completely translated into thought and memory. Strange, right?
Muut has spoken for him, though they are simple acquaintances and not associates. And so little has been said about ghosts (remember, its Jeanne and Mort and no one else. Every other dead character has been thematically taken by a psychopomp).

"...The core of being for Ys might be a mere wolf, but that wolf is like the grain of sand that a pearl formed around. It might be more useful to say that the pearl is as real as the grain of sand..."

In fact, sand : pearl is an excellent example. What he is, is not what he was, and he could not even be, if it wasn't for what he's become. Remember, (is that my catch word? apologies...) he is extremely proud of what he is, but he shows no grace or care towards his wolf form at all. He has more concern for his elevated status of thought and power so as to be above all humans. Now, his greater self is because of humans...

He has no recourse but to continue down this course of elevated being. How very sad ...and potentially very driving... >;D

(edit: apologies friends while i try to learn to properly edit my quotes in my posts (hey, that sounds remarkably modern and seuss-like))

I can understand the fear/horror that Ys must be experiencing. It's not just that he finds humans superior. It is also the fact that his experience of being sentient is dependent upon somebody else.

We could swap it around and wonder if people would be sentient if it weren't for animals, like hungry coyotes, to worry about.

Because with the scientific methods to explain everything away.

Alternatively:
"Ysengrin. Believe in yourself. Not in the you who believes in me. Not the me who believes in you. Believe in the you who believes in yourself."