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Post by the bandit on Apr 28, 2010 21:13:04 GMT
I do have an idea though. The way Jack says "Almost forgot!" seems to indicate that the events of this page were only supposed to happen after Jack had done what he wanted at the power station, which makes me think that it's meant as a diversion to help them escape. Eh, I don't really disagree with anything up to this point (though that which followed left me going "Whaaa?"), but for the record my impression of Jack's "Almost forgot" was that it was not much more than patter.
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Post by Charlotte on Apr 28, 2010 21:27:04 GMT
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sharp
New Member
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Post by sharp on Apr 28, 2010 21:52:29 GMT
After reading today's comic, only one thing came to mind:
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Ruushi
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Touch the onion!!!
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Post by Ruushi on Apr 28, 2010 21:56:22 GMT
Multiple choice Will Rey a.Die b.Possess Annie's body c.Possess Jack's body d.Something else we don't know yet
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Post by legion on Apr 28, 2010 22:02:36 GMT
4 pages of comment and speculation in a single day. This last page certainly caused turmoil!
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Post by Casey on Apr 28, 2010 22:39:46 GMT
Not only is it a demigod-powered windsprint from the bridge to Coyote's body deep in the woods, but the power station is set deep in the Court, according to how far the girls had to travel to get there in the original chapter 'Power Station'. I think it would suffice to say that Rey returning to his original body is not an option, unless something else unexpected happens (like, say, Annie can communicate with Coyote through the tooth, and get the body etherically shipped to her location.)
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blue
Junior Member
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Post by blue on Apr 28, 2010 22:40:24 GMT
Multiple choice Will Rey a.Die b.Possess Annie's body c.Possess Jack's body d.Something else we don't know yet What do spiders usually do after prey is trapped in their web? A Yup, end of Reynardine forever.
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Post by Mezzaphor on Apr 28, 2010 22:43:24 GMT
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Pig_catapult
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Keeper of the Devilkitty
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Post by Pig_catapult on Apr 28, 2010 22:43:50 GMT
Reynardine is free! Now we know why Jack wanted Annie to bring the wolf along. Well,well. Will Ren nip over to the forest to get his old body? Will Jack's device draw the body to him? Who cares? He's free! Hooray for Jack! He alone saw that Renard was innocent and determined to help him. I forgive him for smashing the robot. (Anyway, if he had read about Kat on the school's computers he knew they could be reassembled and wasn't actually killing it, just keeping it quiet for a bit.) Is this an example of Poe's Law, or do you actually believe that?
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Post by tyler on Apr 28, 2010 22:44:40 GMT
Think about how the school network would put it, Casey. Is it going to say "Reynardine is a fuzzy wuzzy loveable piece of fluff"? No. The Court hates Reynardine. He is a murderous body-snatching demon, whose presence is only tolerated because Annie has him "under control". Thus Jack does not see this as "Reynardine is her guardian and bestest friend ever (besides Kat)". He sees it as "Reynardine is exceptionally dangerous and should be disposed of". Jack seems irrational to you, but this is actually a completely rational way to look at the situation. That's why I say "think about it from his perspective" Rational decisions always seem irrational to those that have more information. Rational means "making the best decision based on the available information". Jack doesn't have the whole picture. You may disagree with Jack's methods, but they aren't the methods of someone who's shithouse-crazy. In fact, if Jack were crazy as a shithouse he wouldn't be anywhere near as dangerous as he is. If I'm wrong, then oh well, but I really think this is what's going down. Pretty much the only alternative I can think of is that Jack's just in it for the lulz (think The Joker), and that would be... kind of disappointing. I've been holding back re: Jack because the last time I was around and talking about it I got to thinking I was getting too loud about it. However, I just want to say I agree with this post, and I wonder about whether the revenge angle is possible. Also, "Almost forgot!" did strike me more as a patter thing. The sort of thing a grinning on-edge "excellent, excellent" muttering type might say because it amused him to pretend that sort of thing.
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Post by warrl on Apr 28, 2010 22:51:31 GMT
I do have an idea though. The way Jack says "Almost forgot!" seems to indicate that the events of this page were only supposed to happen after Jack had done what he wanted at the power station, which makes me think that it's meant as a diversion to help them escape. My theory is that the power station collects ether, right? What it's been collecting so far seems to have been background noise, background magic if you like. I'm guessing that a living etherial being such as Reynardine would be far more potent, and may well overload the system if absorbed. This would have a rather nasty effect on the power station and would definitely cause a distraction. We've already seen Jack being callous about taking a life to aid his goals and, if you're as unbalanced as Jack, it's not a huge leap between "it's not alive, it's made of metal" and "it's not real, it's made of ether", so I can see him doing something like that. A minor variation - and remember Jack is both a kid and somewhat insane, so the gaping holes in this idea are neither surprising nor a compelling argument against it - Jack intends to force Rey out of the doll so that Rey will take over one of the new arrivals and THAT will provide the distraction. On a related subject, it occurs to me that there are really only two possibilities regarding the guys from/on the boat and how quickly they arrived: a) they happened, pure coincidence to already be on the way to the power station for some other reason; b) they are a trained and practiced response/security team. My bet would be the latter.
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Post by kermittheforg on Apr 28, 2010 23:03:41 GMT
Assuming we can even trust Coyote's flashbacks. It seems he heard about it second-hand as well. I agree, though; it seems like a red herring at this point.
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Pig_catapult
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Keeper of the Devilkitty
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Post by Pig_catapult on Apr 28, 2010 23:10:58 GMT
I'd like to bring up two properties that at least one of the little electronic bits have:
1) they're shaped like bugs
2) they have two little dot things that could be interpreted, with some imagination, as "eyes". In fact, one of them might even have a light-sensor component, which serves the same mechanical function as an insect's "eye spots", and certainly wouldn't be unusual in a motion-detecting device.
Maybe he's planning to suck Reynardine into one of these mechanical insects, and then feed him to his facespider.
~EDIT~
Also, maybe he wasn't lying, and the bugs can also sense motion
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Post by todd on Apr 28, 2010 23:19:02 GMT
Perhaps Hyland Sr. was the man Reynardine possessed and killed in his efforts to woo Surma, hence Jack has a grudge. Jack probably hadn't known this previously but discovered it whilst rooting around in the Court's computer records. I think it only likely if Reynardine's possessing the young man took place while Surma was with child. Jack and Annie are clearly around the same age, and would have to have been conceived and born around the same time. If the man whom Reynardine possessed was Jack's father, Jack would have to have been conceived by that time - unless Reynardine is Jack's real father.
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Post by cheddarius on Apr 28, 2010 23:39:55 GMT
My first impression was that Reynardine was "bound" to the plushie, so that he was unable to change shape (much like when he goes "pop" and turns silent). Also, he seemed to be extremely upset, saying "graaaaah".
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Post by blackboe on Apr 28, 2010 23:41:41 GMT
I'd like to bring up two properties that at least one of the little electronic bits have: 1) they're shaped like bugs 2) they have two little dot things that could be interpreted, with some imagination, as "eyes". In fact, one of them might even have a light-sensor component, which serves the same mechanical function as an insect's "eye spots", and certainly wouldn't be unusual in a motion-detecting device. Maybe he's planning to suck Reynardine into one of these mechanical insects, and then feed him to his facespider. ~EDIT~ Also, maybe he wasn't lying, and the bugs can also sense motion maybe they're tiny boxbots.
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Post by lurker on Apr 29, 2010 0:50:34 GMT
Just a thought. I reread this chapter, and noted panel 2 on page 696. Rey thought he could handle Jack (unsurprising, as he views all humans as mere children and their petty crises as child's play), but it looks like the tables have turned. Jack is much more capable than anticipated, and Rey may not be able to intervene if Jack "steps out of line" wrt Annie. Now not only can Rey not protect Annie if Jack tries something funny, but Jack may be able to coerce him into doing what he wants by binding him with that no-eye program. From the way Jack explicitly invited Rey along, he must have something in mind that he wants from Rey, and he may just be able to get it. The way I read it, Jack has this all planned beforehand -- granted, with a crazy, screwed-up logic under the influence of the etheric spider, but nevertheless, planned -- those bug things on the wall were deliberately placed to form the no-eye symbol. The only thing associated with that symbol in the story that we've seen is Rey. In other words, he must have planned this beforehand. He intended for the sequence of events to be exactly the way they are: the power station must be started up, and then Rey must be bound. To what end is unclear, but it certainly was planned!
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Post by zylonbane on Apr 29, 2010 1:24:24 GMT
Sorry if this his already been pointed out, but the glowing figure in the final strip is that of Rey's wolf form. If this was Rey getting ejected, we'd be seeing his fox form. So it does seem more likely that he's getting pushed into the doll than out of it.
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Post by blackboe on Apr 29, 2010 1:32:20 GMT
wait. so: Zylonbane? As in SHTUP Zylonbane?
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Post by zylonbane on Apr 29, 2010 1:33:42 GMT
Shhhhh.
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coyotagoat
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Helluva poker face.
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Post by coyotagoat on Apr 29, 2010 1:46:56 GMT
I think I know why Jack is so confusing to me. Before Zimmification, he's what I'd probly classify as a "likable jackass" (perdonne Francais-mois). Afterwards, the "likable" parts kinda been going out the window. He's showing blatant disregard for those around him. There's a kind of scary notion thats been mentioned a few times here, but not talked about... Could Jack be wanting to take Reynardine for himself? I seem to recall that Tom posted some answers as to the particulars of how someone could take Reynardine from her, but I forget the specifics . Anyone with a good memory/time to research know if this would apply (re: forcing out Renny, snatching doll, Renny goes back in as Jack's)? This is something that would not be good.
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coyotagoat
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Helluva poker face.
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Post by coyotagoat on Apr 29, 2010 1:48:40 GMT
Also, interesting point about his "fox form" above... dunno about forcing him in (he already was?) but what we see is different from the page you linked.
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Post by lurker on Apr 29, 2010 2:22:43 GMT
Note also page 55 where he's emerging from the Rogat Orjak. It's hard to tell whether that form was purely fox, or purely orjak, or a blend of both. So it seems ambiguous whether Rey is being forced in or forced out by Jack, although I'm leaning toward the former. Can't really be sure until Friday. :-) At any rate, I doubt Rey will be able to take any other body, even if he's being forced out -- technically, he is still under contract to Annie, and I doubt she will let him take anything other than the doll.
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Post by zylonbane on Apr 29, 2010 3:05:37 GMT
Also, interesting point about his "fox form" above... dunno about forcing him in (he already was?) but what we see is different from the page you linked. Yes, that was my point. What we're seeing is most likely the after-image of his wolf form disappearing as he turns back into doll form. At any rate, I doubt Rey will be able to take any other body, even if he's being forced out -- technically, he is still under contract to Annie, and I doubt she will let him take anything other than the doll. Nope. The only "contract" is occupying Annie's doll. He can't leave it intentionally unless ordered, but nonetheless, once he's out, all bets are off.
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Post by hal9000 on Apr 29, 2010 3:10:39 GMT
I think I know why Jack is so confusing to me. Before Zimmification, he's what I'd probly classify as a "likable jackass" (perdonne Francais-mois). Afterwards, the "likable" parts kinda been going out the window. He's showing blatant disregard for those around him. There's a kind of scary notion thats been mentioned a few times here, but not talked about... Could Jack be wanting to take Reynardine for himself? I seem to recall that Tom posted some answers as to the particulars of how someone could take Reynardine from her, but I forget the specifics . Anyone with a good memory/time to research know if this would apply (re: forcing out Renny, snatching doll, Renny goes back in as Jack's)? This is something that would not be good. You know honestly, I don't think Jack is angling to steal Reynardine away from Annie. That would be pretty far-fetched. I think he's either using this as a way to keep Reyardine occupied while he interrogates Annie, or as a way to occupy the both of them, with Annie trying to free Reynardine from the trap, while he makes a quick get-away. Given the title of the chapter is 'spring-heeled', I think that last one seems pretty likely.
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Post by Snes on Apr 29, 2010 4:52:36 GMT
You know honestly, I don't think Jack is angling to steal Reynardine away from Annie. That would be pretty far-fetched. I think he's either using this as a way to keep Reyardine occupied while he interrogates Annie, or as a way to occupy the both of them, with Annie trying to free Reynardine from the trap, while he makes a quick get-away. Given the title of the chapter is 'spring-heeled', I think that last one seems pretty likely. Indeed. I don't think Jack has mastered Anja's computer. He most likely has a basic knowledge of how it works; knowledge he used to hack together a link to the program to achieve some simple goal. Keeping Rey occupied for a short time is a possibility.
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Post by cheddarius on Apr 29, 2010 5:23:06 GMT
The program is kind of a strange thing. Programs in themselves are not actually useful. You need them to do something; you need a robot to run them on, a server for people to access it or whatnot. So I don't understand what it is, exactly. Does the program use some sort of etheric and/or GPS device to scan the area and find any instance of the slashed-eye image, then route massive amounts of etheric energy to it? That seems pretty irresponsible. Can anyone who draws that image access the program? What, in fact, does the program actually do?
My thinking is thus: The program can bind Reynardine. Thus, there must be something that the program unlocks access to. I can't just hurl a USB drive with a program on it at an incoming car and shield myself, of course. So the program is presumably used to detect gestures, commands, etc. that invoke the actual power. The power might be some sort of... "mana pool"? A storage of etheric power, essentially. And the program could detect the intentions of the user, evaluate its priority or whatnot, and divert power to him/her accordingly. And I guess Jack could have hacked it somehow. Unless, of course, Tom means program in a different way than I mean program.
But really, although I am a novice computer nerd raging, I think that if Tom really means that the program itself, utilizing no other device, stopped Reynardine, a better word would be "computer system" or something like that. I don't see any easy solution to the archery thing without messing it up, but semantics seems like an easy solution. Too bad it's already canon, though.
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Post by Mr Pitchfork on Apr 29, 2010 6:02:08 GMT
A program can't exist unless it's on a machine. So it's pretty much inherently true that the program, since it exists, is running off a machine.
It /could/ be Anja's etheric computer. Jack may be experimenting though, not knowing everything about the symbol or the etheric computer.
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Post by hal9000 on Apr 29, 2010 6:26:53 GMT
Those bugs on the wall could be a sort of remote terminal or other output device, linked to the court's etheric supercomputer, in a similar sort of arrangement to the mainframe computing model of yore. That would necessarily require that Jack have obtained access to the supercomputer somehow, but given the skill he's displayed in rooting other people's boxes, I don't think it's too unlikely to be the case.
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Post by eightyfour on Apr 29, 2010 9:50:04 GMT
By the way: Has it anywhere been confirmed that without a body to jump into, Rey will die, or is all that speculation only based on the assumption made by Eglamore in #57?
I find it quite possible myself that Rey would just default back into his original body (of which he might of course not even be aware himself).
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