[294] Story Discussion - And so did I wait

Oh my.

Time skip, here we go.

That last panel is both heartwarming and scary at the same time.

I would very much like a wallpaper featuring that scene.

Oh, that's so sweet and sad and lovely and ominous.

Annie finally feels ready to face the world as... herself? We've never seen Surma's face as an adult. Did she wear make-up (maybe to disguise some disfigurement from a Court-Gillitie clash that neccessitated her exile into the outside world - inquiring minds demand answers dammit!), so that became Annie's way of staying connected to her? But recent revelations suggest it's time for her to let go of her mother's memory and find out about the Surma everybody else knows?

Or did Annie use make-up as an emotional shield against all the pain and hurt and loss in her life? And removing it now means she is ready to brave what comes?

Or maybe she's just getting ready for bed?

I was startled by the specific revelation as to how long it would be before Anthony finally returns (or at least, sends a message to Annie). I hope, though, that the webcomic won't "fast-forward" to that moment. For one thing, I find it very unlikely that nothing of note would happen at Gunnerkrigg for the next two years. (I'm still curious whether Chapter Fifteen will take place during the summer or at the start of Annie's Year 8; at least we won't have long to find out.)

I think that Annie is just removing her make-up before bed, as usual. I'd like to know why she wears it, though - particularly in light of her remark to Kat that she (Kat) doesn't need it, prompting the question from Kat as to why Annie uses it.

Nice to see that Reynardine is being obliging enough to let Annie use him for a pillow (and it makes a lovely picture).

We've seen Annie without make-up before, off the top of my head in Chapter 3 when she goes to see what smashed in the ceiling, from here. (One of my favourite chapters, y'see )

All I can say about this page is poor Annie. I just want to give her a hug!

Dawww, ain't Reynardine just a big fluffy doggie?

Just think how amazingly disturbing that'd look if he was still in that smaller toy-form.

So do I, though I'd ask first to be rejuvenated to the age of 12, so that if there were any bystanders about, they wouldn't get the wrong idea.

I'm still intrigued that Tom specifically tells us that Annie won't hear from her father for at least another two years. Giving away the ending has been known in fiction before, even in early times - in the Iliad, for example, Homer has Zeus reveal a couple of times how the story's going to end with Hector killing Patroclus and Achilles killing Hector, and the Chorus at the start of "Romeo and Juliet" reveals that Romeo and Juliet are going to wind up committing suicide - but that's generally in cases where it's based on a familiar story, not a new one.

I wonder if the stories that Tom will be telling about Annie's next two years at Gunnerkrigg simply won't involve Anthony at all, and that he wants to make certain that we won't mistakenly expect him to show up in a way that might distract us from the things that *will* be taking place in them.

Hmm... Annie will be at least fourteen when Anthony finally does show up, and maybe even older. I hope that he's not in for a big adolescent storm when he arrives - except that, knowing Annie, she'll be more likely greeting him in an overly stiff and polite fashion (the kind of treatment that she gives Muut and Eglamore) rather than screaming at him for deserting her.

Might it perhaps feature Rey and Coyote? I'd like to see something along those lines.