[1548] I never wanted to return.

[Nepycros]

Good job.

[Angry Individual]

James business?

I smell juicy romance drama. *popcorn*

[arf]

With that ambience, why send Annie back?

[Chancellor]

Seems in line with how I interpreted things when I first read the comic.

[aquamafia]

So he's capable of empathy yet treats his daughter like crap.

Great parenting there Anthony.

[Chancellor]

Aug 3, 2015 7:02:20 GMT arf said:

With that ambience, why send Annie back?

THAT, precisely, then and now, has been the million dollar question, I think.

[elebenty]

Aug 3, 2015 7:02:20 GMT arf said:

With that ambience, why send Annie back?

Surma knew that Anja would be there for Annie. Maybe she knew her dad couldn't do it.


 

[Refugee]

Would Surma, then, have objected to Annie being at the Court?

===

And "business with James"? I know we've seen glimpses, but what exactly?


===

I think what's being revealed is that Surma separated Annie from Anthony, and her other friends at the Court, as much as Anthony did. Surma was unwilling to make concessions to Anthony.

[ninjaraven]

Aug 3, 2015 7:02:20 GMT arf said:

With that ambience, why send Annie back?

Annie is still part fire elemental - is there a better place on earth where Annie can go to in order to learn how to control her abilities? Especially with her emnity towards the psychopomps? Despite not wanting Annie to be born there, Surma probably still recognised that Annie was going to need that sort of education.

Man, Tony put that mask back on fast when mentioning Surma's passing - that's gotta be one ugly scar.

[edzepp]

So hopefully we're getting to the part about why he's back. Is the research done? Is there a specific reason Annie is getting the gruff, unemotional treatment? Nguuuuuh why isn't it the next posting day yet

[zbeeblebrox]

Well...on the bright side, at least he knows he's a failure!

[Reynaerde]

Anthony got a pretty bad guilt complex.
I wonder what he tried to do, to save Surma. And why it didn't work.

[edzepp]

After all the heated debates in here recently, let me say: I fully trust that Tom will be able to make him more sympathetic while making sure that there are actual consequences for the less savory parts of his behavior.

[Chancellor]

Oop! Lookit this suddenly Five-star Gunner Chancellor.

[antiyonder]

Aug 3, 2015 7:11:43 GMT Reynaerde said:

Anthony got a pretty bad guilt complex.
I wonder what he tried to do, to save Surma. And why it didn't work.

I don't know.  Sounds more like ego had just as much to do with it.  I'm not denying that guilt is part of the equation.

[deuswyvern]

It seems like he's blaming himself for Surma's death. I'm wondering if he really does blame Annie, he might just be wallowing in self pity. It will be interesting to find out what convinced him to return, but it looks as if he mask is back on. Might not get anymore this chapter.

I think that whatever went on with James is the reason he learned martial arts.

[ctso74]

Aug 3, 2015 7:08:15 GMT edzepp said:

So hopefully we're getting to the part about why he's back. Is the research done? Is there a specific reason Annie is getting the gruff, unemotional treatment? Nguuuuuh why isn't it the next posting day yet

I have a theory, that Tom is a creature of the Ether, that feeds off impatience. It would make things so clear.

Like many above write, it does seem curious that Surma would insist on Annie going to the Court. Didn't she think they'd make her a medium?
Maybe, she felt she needed to go through the process of making a child (like fire), and simply didn't want her friends to watch her decline. Maybe, she thought Tony would join Annie in the Court from the start. Hopefully, we'll see... in a month or so.

[justcurious]

Surma seems to have been more vain than Annie as well loosing her temper more easily. I wonder whether Annie's reluctance to seek help might come from her as well as from her father.

[edzepp]

I don't mean to start anything, and I mean nothing malicious against Anthony at the moment (In fact, I am actually quite sympathetic), but did anyone raise an eyebrow curiously at 'Her child'? At most, I think it's just him trying to keep an emotional distance, but it did rather catch my attention.

To justcurious: What that family relationship was like has never really been explained.

[imaginaryfriend]

Aug 3, 2015 7:34:01 GMT edzepp said:

I don't mean to start anything, and I mean nothing malicious against Anthony at the moment (In fact, I am actually quite sympathetic), but did anyone raise an eyebrow curiously at 'Her child'?

I know I did. Reminded me of one of my friends' friends from college who got married and had a kid. He didn't really take an interest in his new son because he was too busy and too stressed with being too busy. He allegedly once referred to the little dude as "her project" in the context it not being really something he wanted and therefore not his responsibility in the relationship. Hopefully this was not done in his wife's presence.

[youwiththeface]

Aug 3, 2015 7:05:15 GMT Refugee said:

I think what's being revealed is that Surma separated Annie from Anthony, and her other friends at the Court, as much as Anthony did. Surma was unwilling to make concessions to Anthony.

Actually, it's sounds like wanting nothing more to do with the court could be Tony's reason for abandoning Antimony once she started living there. Which would be quite selfish. 

[gwydion]

And beginning to feel conflicting emotions.....

I feel pity for Anthony

I feel pity for Annie 

Why do I blame the enigmatic shadow organisation know as The Court for this?

[justcurious]

So far we've seen understandable reasons for not wanting to come back. We have not seen a justifiable reason for acting on his desires in defiance of his plain responsibilities to his daughter. I expect we won't.

[edzepp]

Aug 3, 2015 7:42:39 GMT imaginaryfriend said:

Aug 3, 2015 7:34:01 GMT edzepp said:

I don't mean to start anything, and I mean nothing malicious against Anthony at the moment (In fact, I am actually quite sympathetic), but did anyone raise an eyebrow curiously at 'Her child'?

I know I did. Reminded me of one of my friends' friends from college who got married and had a kid. He didn't really take an interest in his new son because he was too busy and too stressed with being too busy. He allegedly once referred to the little dude as "her project" in the context it not being really something he wanted and therefore not his responsibility in the relationship. Hopefully this was not done in his wife's presence.

Exactly my thoughts. With Annie, there's always this distance. This may be one of those cases where one word speaks worlds about that relationship.

[madragoran]

The events according to Anthony Carver. "I failed to prevent Surma's death. I never wanted to return". Still you sent your kid there or allowed your kid to be sent there. In essence he says "I never wanted to see Annie again."

I am sorry but all I see are two selfcentered people. Surma knew she would not be there to raise her child. So she goes away, cuts off her best friend and then sends the child to her friend, without ever preparing either the child or her friend for the meeting. She knew her husband was incapable of looking after the child and yet she never prepared Annie for anything.

Tony is angry he failed to work the miracle of saving Surma and he was prepared to never return and see his kid.

[Goatmon]

Aug 3, 2015 7:03:24 GMT aquamafia said:

So he's capable of empathy yet treats his daughter like crap.

Great parenting there Anthony.

I don't think he realizes at all how poorly he's been treating her, because he can't see straight with her.

And I think it's because he can't let Surma go.

Seems like hiding from his friends and daughter and former colleagues is symbolic of his emotional state. Hiding his feelings away instead of dealing with them, because it's easier for him that way.

[hifranc]

madragoran, I don't see Surma as that self-centred. It strikes me that she was experiencing something akin to the depression that people with terminal illnesses often get. When you're in the throes of depression an apparantly selfish could actually be a selfless act (e.g. "anja could not cope with me being weak, I'll spare her that"). Of course, there's always the option of treatmant but, given that treatment would be provided by the court, I suspect she didn't trust the people appointed to have her (or Anja's) best interests at heart.

[ninjaraven]

Aug 3, 2015 7:52:57 GMT edzepp said:

Aug 3, 2015 7:42:39 GMT imaginaryfriend said:

I know I did. Reminded me of one of my friends' friends from college who got married and had a kid. He didn't really take an interest in his new son because he was too busy and too stressed with being too busy. He allegedly once referred to the little dude as "her project" in the context it not being really something he wanted and therefore not his responsibility in the relationship. Hopefully this was not done in his wife's presence.

Exactly my thoughts. With Annie, there's always this distance. This may be one of those cases where one word speaks worlds about that relationship.

Is there a possibility that Surma, being part fire elemental, might have been able to conceive a child parthogenically? That Annie has no true father?? (granted, this is an outside possibility)

 Posted by madragoran

The events according to Anthony Carver. "I failed to prevent Surma's death. I never wanted to return". Still you sent your kid there or allowed your kid to be sent there. In essence he says "I never wanted to see Annie again."

I am sorry but all I see are two selfcentered people. Surma knew she would not be there to raise her child. So she goes away, cuts off her best friend and then sends the child to her friend, without ever preparing either the child or her friend for the meeting. She knew her husband was incapable of looking after the child and yet she never prepared Annie for anything.

Tony is angry he failed to work the miracle of saving Surma and he was prepared to never return and see his kid.

Tony failed in letting Surma die. He. failed. We've seen how hard Annie takes failure, and what Annie takes hard, Tony takes even harder. How on earth was he supposed to face his friends with the knowledge of that failure, let alone his daughter?? How could he face them??? Now, there may be more complexity to it than this. However, I personally can relate to how utterly crippling self-loathing can be. I can totally see how it might cause Tony to lose focus on his daughter - first, while being increasingly absorbed in fighting a losing battle for Surma's life, and though guilt for years after the battle was lost.

[antiyonder]

Aug 3, 2015 7:47:51 GMT justcurious said:

So far we've seen understandable reasons for not wanting to come back. We have not seen a justifiable reason for acting on his desires in defiance of his plain responsibilities to his daughter. I expect we won't.

Agreed.  Come to think of it, even if the reason is based more on guilt, well, he lacked a willingness to work out his emotional issues (seeking therapy or just getting over it).

Have to say, I'm wondering what Tom is thinking with this route.  I mean if Anthony's motives were rooted in selflessness, I could understand making readers wait to find out said motives on the grounds of getting us angry with the character only to see a likable side to him.

But considering that we're suppose to dislike Tony, revealing his motives sooner wouldn't really have done anything other than reaffirm the disdain towards him.

Aug 3, 2015 8:20:48 GMT ninjaraven said:

Tony failed in letting Surma die. He. failed. We've seen how hard Annie takes failure, and what Annie takes hard, Tony takes even harder. How on earth was he supposed to face his friends with the knowledge of that failure, let alone his daughter?? How could he face them??? Now, there may be more complexity to it than this. However, I personally can relate to how utterly crippling self-loathing can be. I can totally see how it might cause Tony to lose focus on his daughter - first, while being increasingly absorbed in fighting a losing battle for Surma's life, and though guilt for years after the battle was lost.

Plenty of people lose a spouse without losing a sense of decency in the process. Tony's problem first and foremost is his ego (I'm the only person in existence who had to suffer).

And again, part of the spouse lives on through the child, thus neglecting the child is in a sense disrespect towards the deceased loved one.  If Annie is able to live a safe, moral and happy life, then Surma's death isn't for nothing.


And if he couldn't find it within himself to put his feelings on hold for Annie?  Trying giving custody of her to someone who can take care of her.  See if the Donlan's would be willing to take custody.

[alpacalypse]

Anthony, stop it. Im gonna cry.