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Post by Bandersnatch on Feb 22, 2013 10:35:32 GMT
Smitegen OTP
Time to make lots of Smitegen art and make everyone cry.
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pasko
Full Member
Objection!
Posts: 224
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Post by pasko on Feb 22, 2013 10:38:59 GMT
Smitsengrin? Is this a name for a new shipping? ^this Finally getting a reaction from the headmaster Can't help but suspencting that Jones is thinking something along the lines of "Goood, everything according to plan. Muhahaha!" Yes, I can almost hear her laugh. I also love Smitty, now. He's saying "you gave me this authority, dude, now you take the results."
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Post by dailenna on Feb 22, 2013 10:49:35 GMT
Haha, that's great And Jones in the second panel looks so spiteful. It just occurred to me, but if annie and smitty become the two mediums, won't it be really peaceful?! That's junk! Boo! Boo, I say! I was expecting at -least- one major forest/court all-out battle to break out. Well, that all depends on the forest and the court, more like. As the mediums, they're basically just the negotiators on behalf of the court/forest, so they may give advice on what to do, but if, say, the court does something the forest doesn't like, they're the ones who have to try to calm everything down, rather than they make all the decisions. They're the communicators, not the actors.
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Post by seppaseppa on Feb 22, 2013 10:58:30 GMT
I do believe George is looking mighty impressed by his boy in that there fifth panel. Those two are too adorable! ;D
Also, whoa careful there headmaster, with all that exercise you'll wake up way sore in the morning!
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Post by TBeholder on Feb 22, 2013 11:57:46 GMT
Jones, if anything, seems to be trying to look bored. The headmaster, meanwhile, has given up all pretense of disinterest. Yeah, and now that Smitty chimed in too, it's obvious that Jonathan lost it. And superficially, that's all cute - they are merely trying to do the sensible thing. On another note: It's cool to see Smits back up Annie so quickly after obtaining medium status, and you just know it will go well because Smits says so, haha. Well, of course. Aside of still being one team however they are called officially, Andrew probably is very happy he won't need to communicate with 'Grin directly - the first time they met... may have left some impressions. Well that shoots my theory down that if she took it, the court would still support her. That's kind of..horrible. On the other side or not, she's still a student and a minor and they're still a school that needs to take care of her. I assume they only mean within the forest itself but what if something happens? They wouldn't send her any help? That's a terrible message to send! ...and the assembled Court folk received it. That's kind of how it works (can't really promise anything) - but still, he's not cutting losses here. But good for you, Smitty and Parley, you are very mature and generous. Even Ys, good on ya! He may have lost the memory of the attack but even after getting his job taken from him, he's still willing to protect Annie. Why won't they? As to Ysengrin, he's most likely to be as happy about not having to visit this rabbit warren and deal with humans as they are about not having to deal with him anymore. Except maybe Jonathan secretly enjoyed baiting the "General" and will miss this.
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quoodle
Full Member
Just a man on a planet
Posts: 168
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Post by quoodle on Feb 22, 2013 12:57:38 GMT
I really like Tom's writing - and how the characters have believable actions and the situations are complex.
What I like here - The headmaster went in and basically ran roughshod over everyone - yes, even his own people. They basically rebelled and supported their personal feelings as a result. Everyone's coming to Annie's defense.
If he had brought some support - like whoever made this decision (Anthony?), or made a reasoned explanation for the decision, he would have fared differently. He's not a very skilled manager or even a good diplomat. (he's even lost his temper - when you lose your temper, you've lost)
No support from the court, huh? Well, she's getting plenty of support from individuals. (Probably even Eglamore personally) - from her standpoint, what else does she need?
What is the court? Why should anyone care about getting "no support' from an invisible organization?
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Thoth
Junior Member
Posts: 92
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Post by Thoth on Feb 22, 2013 13:15:09 GMT
Annie will be perfectly safe. Smitty could take out Ysengrin or anyone else simply by lowering that mighty eyebrow of his.
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Post by Nnelg on Feb 22, 2013 13:28:29 GMT
Well that shoots my theory down that if she took it, the court would still support her. True. Though considering what Paz has said, I think the court technically might still support her- just counter to it's headmaster's will. It will. Never forget what Paz said. The Headmaster is just one person in the Court. He does not always speak for everyone in it. (Although he always should...) Power can be abused, can it not? Would you blame all members of a government for the actions of a tyrant? Even those whom are merely trying to make the best of a bad situation? Think about this in terms of selecting university students, company trainees or sports prospects: anybody who is in a leading position and wishes to go to the very top will prefer talent over maturity when choosing youngsters to his stable. These kids are, what, 14-15-year-old? You do not dismiss a talent of that age for her being immature or not obeying, because that is what you teach her afterwards. Except, usually one does not accept students fresh from college in a role where there can (and probably will) be grave international consequences if she acts without forethought. You're right that they still have time to learn. But if the Headmaster thought Annie needed to learn some discipline before she could be a Medium, he should have waited to announce the next one, so that she could be taught that lesson while still officially in training. Or at least tell someone, for crying out loud.
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Post by darlos9d on Feb 22, 2013 14:07:08 GMT
If Jones or Annie can figure out what happen to Ysengrin based on his last coment, all my hopes for this chapter will be answered. I think it might take longer for THAT bit of drama to play out. It WILL play out, though. Also, why exactly did Coyote try and scare Annie off if he was going to ask something like this? Or even if he thought she WAS going to be the court's medium? Maybe he DIDN'T expect Ys to freak out like he did? Agh, I don't know! COYOTE
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Post by kalechibki on Feb 22, 2013 14:57:15 GMT
"getting real tired of ur shit jones" I would be wondering just how much of an observational role Jonesy is taking...Annie will be perfectly safe. Smitty could take out Ysengrin or anyone else simply by lowering that mighty eyebrow of his. Would it come down like a guillitine? Inevitable and impossible to stop? And as confused as Annie may be, she's already started thinking that Coyote was up to something regarding Ys. This, ironically, may confirm it more because he is acting like her Ysy again. Unlike Eglamore, she may wind up doubting whether or not he will be able to fulfill that role because of Coyote rather than if he would honestly want to protect her.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2013 15:45:50 GMT
No...support? So she wouldn't be expelled? Thats's...actually pretty alright. Either ulterior motives, or it's not actually that big a deal. We'll see what's up next week.
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Post by paradosa on Feb 22, 2013 16:00:21 GMT
My first thought reading this page: Jones - That will teach you a lesson for not listening to my advice. I will not get you out of trouble, you started this silly game, you deal with consequences.
Or she is actually trying to help headmaster. She knows that Annie will not listen to orders and will take threatening badly. That will push her to choosing Coyotes offer. Also Smithy is helping too - supporting and showing that she has friends and allies in Court, that Court is not so bad.
But this page makes me sad - i think no matter what she chooses, she is screwed. Accept Coyotes offer and she will be abused by Coyote, no one will stop him doing whatever he wants with her and she will have to do what he tells. Seeing what he is doing to poor Ys and Reynard not wanting go back to forest shows that really is bad choice. If she declines, I think Court/headmaster will still treat her badly because in his eyes she is big problem. She will be ordinary student with no power and will not be able even visit forest without breaking rules. Annie might choose to stay in Court because of Reynard - Rey dont want to go to Forest and Court sure will do whatever it takes to keep Rey in Court under their control.
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Post by voidmaster on Feb 22, 2013 16:25:08 GMT
Unlike Eglamore, she may wind up doubting whether or not he will be able to fulfill that role because of Coyote rather than if he would honestly want to protect her. She shouldn't be too concerned if that is the case. Coyote himself is offering her a position of power within the forest, and if we consider Yesengrin to just be an extension of Coyote's will(willingly or unwillingly), then she should be perfectly safe. It doesn't make sense for Coyote to have her murdered in her sleep just yet. Not saying that he wouldn't do it, of course. I think he would. Coyote's playing the long game of manipulation here, one he's probably spent decades preparing. If setting off the powder keg at the proper time is his plan, then Annie's death would make the perfect fuse. As far as this decision is concerned, I think I'm going to divide up my thoughts into 'The Good' and 'The Bad'. The Good: Communication between the Court and the Forest will be exceptionally easy with Smitface and Annie involved. Everyone will be buddy buddy as much as they can be, and while they are not the action takers here, understanding will be at an all time high. The Bad: Coyote now has a direct line of manipulation into the Court. If you look at relationships like a spider web, where do all the strands connect? Annie. She is the key to the Court's lock, so to speak. Her emotional and mental state directly affects those who are connected to her through her mother(Eglamore, Reynard, Mr. and Mrs. Donlan, Mr. Carver, etc.) and those connections she has made in the relatively short time she has been alive(Kat, Mort, Smitface, Parley, Red, Shadow, Robot, Zimmy and Gamma, The Psychopomps, etc.) Everyone is connected to her and, through her, to just about everyone else. She's the Kevin Bacon of the Gunnerkrigg Universe. She won't be the only string Coyote is pulling, but she is certainly an extremely valuable string nonetheless. Furthermore, thanks to the Court's decision to downsize her from Medium, Coyote's offer of employment, and everyone running to her defense in today's strip, Coyote will get a detailed map of her allies and relationships throughout the Court. If Johnathan had been trying to keep Annie away from Coyote's manipulation, and thus protect himself and the rest of the Court, he has not only failed completely and utterly, he's managed to show the Coyote just how valuable a piece Annie is in this particular game of chess. *slow clap*
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Post by Corvo on Feb 22, 2013 17:06:20 GMT
Is it just me, or anyone else think it's all about Renard, actually?
Also, voidmaster, you forgot "The Ugly", man!
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Post by paradosa on Feb 22, 2013 17:08:40 GMT
Is it just me, or anyone else think it's all about Renard, actually? Also, voidmaster, you forgot "The Ugly", man! Me too. Court surely will not let him go with Annie to forest. It will go KABOOOM.
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Post by hifranc on Feb 22, 2013 17:36:26 GMT
[...]With regard to the etheric things, Annie has doubtless top level talent, being a half-demon herself. Not a demon but a fire elemental. A demon is an evil being but an elemental is not.
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Post by karmicpear on Feb 22, 2013 17:58:11 GMT
Wow. Everyone standing up for her... that's really awesome. I just hope the resulting boost of confidence doesn't cloud her judgment for the actual decision. Seems like nobody else has a problem with it (besides the headmaster), which is a bit worrying considering the amount of dramatic irony in play here in terms of Coyote.
Annie has the right to be confused about Ysengrin being so helpful - she obviously doesn't know what we do. If she found out about his memory being altered, I think she'd start investigating Coyote pretty hardcore, or would at least be more wary around him.
EDIT: If Coyote really wanted to tie up loose ends, he would have at least attempted to alter Annie's memory as well. I doubt that's just an oversight. So again, what in the Ether is he planning?
Stellar couple of pages.
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Post by mithrandir on Feb 22, 2013 18:55:07 GMT
It's certainly satisfying to see the headmaster getting outmaneuvered here. Whatever he hoped to accomplish by not having Annie being the Court's medium, it's blowing up in his face - and now that I think on it, the fact that he didn't trust Jones, of all people, really doesn't speak well of his motives.
I'm still not at all sure that accepting Coyote's offer is good for Annie, mind you. It certainly isn't safe. But it may be necessary. Anything that the headmaster won't tell Jones about almost certainly is something that shouldn't be allowed to happen, and it seems that allowing Annie to spend more time in the Forest is crucial to stopping whatever-it-is.
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Post by exuberancium on Feb 22, 2013 19:38:22 GMT
Is it just me or is Jones showing a little emotion in her eyes in panel 3. I'm getting kind of an "Are you serious?" vibe.
Also, Ysengrin is basically a bodyguard now. So, the Forest equivalent of the Court's Eglamore. Only official now.
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notacat
Full Member
That's not me, that's my late cat Mimi: I'm not nearly so cute
Posts: 188
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Post by notacat on Feb 22, 2013 19:52:32 GMT
Also, Ysengrin is basically a bodyguard now. So, the Forest equivalent of the Court's Eglamore. Only official now. Called it! /me does happy dance ;D
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Post by redfeather on Feb 22, 2013 19:55:50 GMT
Okay, so maybe I'm forgetting something major here, but... why does Annie want to be a medium? Is it just so she gets a chance to talk to her friends in the forest again? Her reaction seems to indicate there's more to it than that, but I honestly have no idea what it might be. More training in etheric matters, maybe?
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Post by siaynoq on Feb 22, 2013 20:50:45 GMT
To Annie, being a medium is one of the only connections she has with her dead mother, and I can see not becoming the medium as a deep and personal failure to her mother's memory.
Personally, I think she'll try and delay her decision; certainly talk it over with everyone. The ominous threat of 'no protection' seems to hint that the Court will have no problems being more proactive in acting against her. There's a certain amount of subterfuge required to harm one of your own students, but a member of the forest? No such luck.
I do like the parallel that Kat passes under the protection of the Court [the robots are assuredly more in control than they'd seem to be] as Annie leaves it.
Oh god, just had a thought. Kat is marked as the creator. Making the alchemical connections, would she be the one to bring about the Great Work, which involves the marriage of man and spirit, ie. Annie? Does the headmaster look the way he does because the Court is dying?
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Post by elppa284 on Feb 22, 2013 21:56:55 GMT
page 1158: In which All of Leathery Bag's plans of monopolizing Annie backfires.
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itg
New Member
Posts: 6
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Post by itg on Feb 22, 2013 22:18:12 GMT
This is what happens when you ignore everyone's advice and don't tell anyone what you're up to, Headmaster. You've made your bed, now lie in it.
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Post by TBeholder on Feb 22, 2013 23:12:56 GMT
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Post by todd on Feb 22, 2013 23:19:35 GMT
No...support? So she wouldn't be expelled? Aside from the Reynardine problem, expelling Annie would simply help Coyote all the more; he'd offer her a place in the forest if she's being kicked out of the Court and needed a new home. Having Annie placed under house arrest might be the best way of thwarting it, and even that would have its problems.
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Post by warrl on Feb 23, 2013 2:25:49 GMT
Having Annie placed under house arrest might be the best way of thwarting it, and even that would have its problems. Yeah, giving her incentive to figure out how Mr. Donlan's door works - and do the same thing herself - doesn't sound like the best security move.
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Post by ctso74 on Feb 23, 2013 2:26:08 GMT
Is it just me, or anyone else think it's all about Renard, actually? Ditto.
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Post by zbeeblebrox on Feb 23, 2013 4:09:36 GMT
Ahh! So it turns out the Court totally didn't think this through at all. Bring on the Medium Cabal!
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Post by Nnelg on Feb 23, 2013 4:25:23 GMT
[...]With regard to the etheric things, Annie has doubtless top level talent, being a half-demon herself. Not a demon but a fire elemental. A demon is an evil being but an elemental is not. "Demon" is a label, like "monster". One could certainly choose to apply it to a Fire Elemental if one wished; although others would certainly disagree. Whether or not there is absolute right or wrong answer to who would be correct is also up for debate. My first thought reading this page: Jones - That will teach you a lesson for not listening to my advice. I will not get you out of trouble, you started this silly game, you deal with consequences. Or she is actually trying to help headmaster. She knows that Annie will not listen to orders and will take threatening badly. That will push her to choosing Coyotes offer. I would think the latter of these is the more likely. Jones can't be hurt emotionally, so she has no cause for spite. She would know that the Headmaster would not react kindly to it as well as she knows what Annie would not react kindly to. Is it just me, or anyone else think it's all about Renard, actually? I know, right? (Honestly though, if Coyote's got a master plan that involves Renardine in some way, then it's unlikely that he's the only target...)
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