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Post by aline on Jun 29, 2015 11:52:50 GMT
I just wanted to have all the crazy theories in one thread, while I'm waiting for the next chapter to begin. Feel free to mention you own crazy theory in the comments if I overlooked it.
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Post by aline on Jun 27, 2015 8:10:33 GMT
That contradicts what we know about Annie and Surma. gunnerkrigg.com/?p=804If Surma had a spirit independently from a "parasite" elemental, there would have been something for the psychopomps to guide into the ether, like there is for every "normal" human. I only started reading recently, but that does not really sit well with me, Annie says she crossed Surma over to the other side which would require there to be something left of her to carry over. My guess would be that either the psychopomp that would carry her over is dead (Jeanne has killed a couple IIRC) or since the elemental's seem to have a foot in both worlds already they work differently, and it is the families responsibility to cross her over, meaning it was a task Annie was supposed to perform. We know what the characters think, but if the fire is their life-force, then draining that should not destroy/deplete the soul. Here are a couple of questions Tom answered about this topic: new.spring.me/#!/gunnerkrigg/q/362294237791802330 new.spring.me/#!/gunnerkrigg/q/287498454630925577 new.spring.me/#!/gunnerkrigg/q/1706692040 Basically, there was nothing to take that the psychopomps were interested in (that which makes sure the world "continues to spin"). Surma's Spirit was completely passed to Annie. Something was left behind, yes, but what? Memories? We don't know for sure. Annie guided what was left of her mother into the ether, but that wasn't really necessary. She just thought it was, because she didn't understand what was going on. I think on some levels Surma didn't realize the consequences of not talking about this with her daughter. This separation feels like a mutilation. It's horrible, and the fact that Annie is smiling about it is so creepy it nearly makes me shiver. It does feel like mutilation, and depends on the exact nature of the separation, it could be akin to cutting her hair that she removed something that will grow back/replenish over time. It could also be a case that this is a temporary separation only to buy herself time to adapt, or it could be something that is permanent. We'll see. In any case, I think it's not a coincidence that we learned so much about the transfer of the soul in "Totem", just before those events started. gunnerkrigg.com/?p=1472"Crueler still to keep them separated from their spirits! They are mere hollow vessels without them!" And the Court is the one keeping them this way.
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Post by aline on Jun 26, 2015 20:58:07 GMT
The elemental is not Annie's spirit, I think. She (I take the elemental to be a she) is a separate etheric being, possibly a parasite rather than a symbiont. She may be angry, yet Annie still commands and constrains her. Or she is a symbiont, Annie's actions have freed her as well as Annie, and she is now angry on Annie's behalf. She does not embrace Annie too closely because she does not wish to burn her former host. That contradicts what we know about Annie and Surma. gunnerkrigg.com/?p=804If Surma had a spirit independently from a "parasite" elemental, there would have been something for the psychopomps to guide into the ether, like there is for every "normal" human. The elemental was a part of Surma. Once it was gone, she was missing something so fundamental that not only did she die, she didn't even have a soul to take away. What does it tell us about Annie's current state, I have no idea. But I don't see how it can possibly be good. This separation feels like a mutilation. It's horrible, and the fact that Annie is smiling about it is so creepy it nearly makes me shiver. Tom's story is not about Annie being a victim. She's the hero and she will eventually prevail. But I think you are being overly optimistic about the scene just now. Is this really Annie's plan? Why isn't she sharing it with her closest friend, then? What exactly happened to her on that first schoolday? We've not reached rock bottom just yet.
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Post by aline on Jun 26, 2015 7:50:22 GMT
I don't think this is good news. Not at all.
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Post by aline on Jun 25, 2015 18:03:28 GMT
Suddenly I'm recalling the rabbit soon-to-be boy. As a creature of the forest it has etheric abilities. He'd have reasons to visit and cheer up Annie, I guess. And it would surely be something that makes her happy, but that she doesn't want her dad to find out... Oh well. We'll find out tomorrow.
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Post by aline on Jun 25, 2015 14:18:26 GMT
Not someone else. Just herself, minus her mind, like here: www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=983 Red and the rest of her class were perfectly able to take notes, react to their environment, while their etheric self was jumping around somewhere else.
Good points, I agree. But to what purpose? Why would Annie dissociate herself like that? And giving anything less that her full attention to her Father and Kat, a potentially volatile situation, seems not only rude but dangerous. And again and again, To what purpose? I'm not actually disagreeing here; I have similar objections to even my own proposals. If I'm right (and that's a big if) then she may be doing it because she is so unable to deal with reality that she will use any means to run from it. In which case she is way beyond concepts like rude or dangerous. In which case the situation is pretty bad, smile or not. Another potential bad situation is that there is something going on here directly and willingly caused by her father. But it seems she is hiding it, so... Probably not. What I don't think will happen is some form of sneaking together with Kat. I feel that it's nearly as hard to deal with Kat than with her dad right now for Annie, because of the cheating, because of renard, because Kat is antagonizing her father... Too many expectations.
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Post by aline on Jun 24, 2015 8:18:13 GMT
I don't see what it would accomplish for the Annie we see to have not been the Real Annie. Can't really believe she'd trust anyone, or anything, else with her Father or Kat. And for what? Not someone else. Just herself, minus her mind, like here: www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=983 Red and the rest of her class were perfectly able to take notes, react to their environment, while their etheric self was jumping around somewhere else. Red's "real" self raised her hands with a surpised look when Annie closed her notebook, and the teacher was even teaching while her etheric self was sleeping under the desk. Clearly it's possible to function, talk, walk, interract... while your mind is litteraly elsewhere.
Frankly if I had this kind of ability and was in Annie's position, I'd definitely use it. Seems to me it's a bit like thinking of pretty landscapes to ignore pain in your leg. Although I'm not sure I'd stay in that white room if I were her.
Only thing is, if it's a part of her up there, I don't see why the need to talk to interract.
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Post by aline on Jun 24, 2015 7:51:19 GMT
I just recalled this chapter: www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=981 The Faeries were perfectly able to let their etheric projections party the entire time while the rest of them was being a good girl on the school bench. No reason why Annie couldn't master that as a coping mechanism.
EDIT: might that be the reason why she cut her hair? to help cut herself off herself?
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Post by aline on Jun 24, 2015 7:34:36 GMT
The real Annie descends from the rafters to congratulate her doppelganger on a job well done! My first thought was etheric-Annie coming back to her soulless body. I don't really think that's likely. She wouldn't need to tell herself to come down, would she? However it's a bit strange in the last few panels, how she's standing there with eyes semi-closed, and the descending perspective. Almost as if waiting for something to come back inside her. Ah well, if that's an etheric projection up there, she might be projecting herself as well.
In any case, I'm ver glad to see this unexpected development.
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Post by aline on Jun 17, 2015 7:51:18 GMT
I don't think she is conditioned, I think she is just a little naive. She wants her dad back and everyone to be happy ever after.
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Post by aline on Jun 17, 2015 7:11:28 GMT
Kat has hit a nerve. Both with Anthony and with Annie.
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Post by aline on Jun 17, 2015 6:46:28 GMT
No, that's not what he's saying. He's saying that they would have acted differently about the entire Renard thing if Annie were their daughter (and he is damn right about that). He is putting them in his shoes. But then they insist that it's fine, and he retreats under an "I've got to think about it". That is defensive more than agressive frankly, he's the one being grilled here. And I don't interpret Anthony the way you do. I think he's not even remotely concerned with plausible deniability. He hasn't bothered denying anything so far.
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Post by aline on Jun 16, 2015 21:37:39 GMT
Or it comes naturally to him because he has learned early to avoid topics he doesn't want to talk about in a non-confrontational way. By the way, Annie herself is *very* good at that game. It isn't exactly non-confrontational, it's passive aggressive. It reads as consciously manipulative to me. Of course he's manipulating. Non-confrontational is not about being nice and kind, it's about taking the sideways rather than hitting it head on.
Passive agressive, however, is something else again. It's more the sabotage kind behavior, people looking all nice and supportive and then backstabbing and destructive behind the scene. Anthony can't be bothered to look nice or supportive. If he did, he'd have some good lies in store (instead of bad truths like "I had work").
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Post by aline on Jun 16, 2015 20:31:41 GMT
And the fact that he's doing all this reframing is worrying as hell. It either means he really, really doesn't want to talk about what he's been doing, or he wants to keep everybody around him dancing on his string. Or both. None of those options is exceptionally comforting to me. Or it comes naturally to him because he has learned early to avoid topics he doesn't want to talk about in a non-confrontational way. By the way, Annie herself is *very* good at that game.
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Post by aline on Jun 16, 2015 9:40:18 GMT
I believe Anthony's using the name Surma gave him. He's not doing so for mythological reasons, but because he regards Reynardine as serious competition for Surma's affections, and knows that "Reynardine" made a serious play for Surma at one time. Tony also dislikes informal shortened names, so its the full Reynardine instead of Renard or Rey. Just like he has Annie address him as father instead of dad. Donald instead of Donny. Orthogonal Rectal Insertion instead of .... oh, never mind, ignore this last one. Renard isn't a shortened name, though. Renard is his real, complete, unshortened name. Reynardine is a nickname that Surma gave him, and then he in turn called himself that too. He's probably less keen on that now, since he learned that Surma wasn't sincere with him, leading to more people calling him Renard. But we've never seen any hint that either name has a negative connotation in the comic. This is reading way too much into it.
And "serious competition for Surma's affection"? Hell, no. Surma was the one trying to make Renard fall in love with her. She was tricking and manipulating him. And while Anthony was happily married with Surma, he was in a prison cell. That is practically the opposite of serious competition.
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Post by aline on Jun 15, 2015 13:15:55 GMT
Kat must be furious that her dad suddenly changed the subject. He went "ahem" very quickly there. I wonder what it is that he is so frightened to mention at the dinner table.
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Post by aline on Jun 12, 2015 9:13:14 GMT
Damn it, I wanted it to become about Annie immediately so bad. Come on Donny, you don't have to care about the robot's suffering and broken nose/hand. Start laying into him about the daughter he's neglected for years! It's not about caring for Anthony's suffering, it's about finding out the truth. I've suspected a while ago that all this business about being-so-disappointed and homework-above-all was at least partly a diversion tactic. Well, it looks like Donny agrees with me. Anthony did not come back because of Annie's schoolwork. So WHY is he there? It is obviously the continuation of what he's done the last three years. Donald only knows that he really didn't want to be found and for some reason, needed scalpels. Also, he got hurt. None of this is irrelevant. It's very probably at the heart of what he's inflincting on Annie now.
After all, WE know how he was hurt...
Also... has anyone else wondered what Annie remembers from her "weird dream" from Divine? She did seem to remember some things... and a few pages ago, she couldn't help but stare at his hand.
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Post by aline on Jun 10, 2015 7:27:20 GMT
I don't think we'll get any meaningful answer from the man, but I am soooooo glad that someone actually bothered to ASK.
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Post by aline on Jun 8, 2015 13:13:36 GMT
On the no social skills - I am not sure. If you just blurt out what you think, you can't be that sort of quiet man Anthony is. I never said he just blurts out what he thinks. He is on contrary very controlled and purposeful. He wanted to say what he did, very probably Long before he walked through that door.
What I meant is that he appears to completely misread the situation here. Anja was trying to "break the ice" so to speak, and Anthony rewarded that by freezing everyone right where they stood like he'd just let in an arctic wind through the door. Now if he wanted to apologize, it would have been possible to find a more appropriate way to do so (later and in private for example) and answer in a neutral and social appropriate way. But he didn't bother, just like he didn't bother shaking hands. Because, I think, he doesn't see the point.
maybe he wants to tell his daughter, again, how disappointed he is However she already knows that. He wouldn't repeat himself without a reason. So either he just wanted the Donlans to hear it (and Annie's presence wasn't an important factor in the conversation), or he thinks she needs reminding because he suspects her of being less obedient than she should.
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Post by aline on Jun 8, 2015 10:31:38 GMT
He's not trying to be rude by not giving a handshake. His words to Anja are friendly. I think he's always been this distant, non-touching, no-unnecessary nonsense person. Anja forgot, or maybe she thought a reunion after 15 years of absence would make a difference. Donald, who knows him best, didn't. I think it's clear now that he's not behaving this way towards Annie because he hates her*. That's how he is, all the time, to everyone. Annie was right: he wasn't trying to humiliate her. The humiliation factor was at no point part of the equation for him. Either he considers feelings to be useless things to be ignored, or he has no understanding whatsoever for the entire concept. Or both. From his point of view, it's Annie who embarrassed him in front of his friends by cheating on their daughter, and so he needs to apologize right away (and does so at the first opportunity). That's totally logical if you decide to ignore how it makes everyone else in the room feel... and you don't have the slightest beginning of a trace of social skill (I mean come on, read the mood! The woman was just trying to find something nice to tell you and that wasn't easy!).
* Whether he loves her, though, that's an entirely different question.
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Post by aline on Jun 8, 2015 7:40:32 GMT
For his part, Donald looks highly unamused. Of his peer group, he probably understands Tony the most. You have to wonder what's on his mind. He was pretty quiet too back at the start of Microsat-1. He's the kind who looks very carefully first and makes his judgment later. I think he's trying to understand what's going on, mainly. He'll probably sit back and be very quiet this time as well.
I don't think that it would be a good idea to start out by telling him what a jerk of a father he is, anyway. It's pretty obvious that it wouldn't end with Anthony saying: "Oh. You're right, now that you've said it I'll switch my personality and start hugging everyone". Rather he'd leave and not come back again... and Annie with him.
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Post by aline on Jun 5, 2015 8:14:52 GMT
I'm pleased about Annie's look in panel 2. She is still wondering... even if she won't say it out loud.
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Post by aline on Jun 3, 2015 11:27:36 GMT
Anthony's still working as a teacher right? Its odd that he only works on Annie's schoolwork and not the papers of his other students. Perhaps other students count as "work" and he does that at school (and all lesson plans are done beforehand and exist in his head)? Antimony however counts as a "personal interest" and therefore he deals with her schoolwork at home. Anthony seems like a guy who would set and follow his own personal rules. "Work" is work and done at work and "personal" is personal and done at home? Yeah, he probably has an office (we've seen that Jones and Eglamore do). And as the guy who enjoys and enforces order, he'd keep the teaching material and his student's homework in his office, and the personal stuff in his home.
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Post by aline on Jun 3, 2015 10:15:20 GMT
Has he been trying this every time he gets home? Has anyone told him a definition of insanity is to keep trying the same thing and expecting the result to change? A scientific mind knows that a slight change in parameters can mean a great deal, so it's better to always check if you can reproduce your results. He's testing, and he's thinking. He already suspects that Annie is lying to him, it won't be long before he knows for sure. It would have bought them more time if Rey had at least pretended to be under his control...
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Post by aline on Jun 1, 2015 18:39:01 GMT
Rey is not dumb enough to try and physically become Annie's father. No he doesn't like Anthony, no he doesn't think Anthony is a good father or that the guy has any business being in Annie's life. That doesn't mean he would try to take Anthony's body. He knows better at this point. Totally agree. Rey has learned the hard way that killing is a very poor way to get someone's love. He also knows that harming Anthony would deeply hurt Annie, and he loves her too much to hurt her out of greed or spite.
The fact that Kat put in no such restriction, and gave him permission to "do whatever is necessary", implies that she HOPES Reynardine will do something if it can somehow be construed as "necessary". Essentially, she's taken down all the safeguards standing between Reynard and Anthony's horrible death save Reynard's own conscience and sense of self-preservation. Not at all different from letting a Mafia hit man out of prison, giving him a gun, and telling him to "do what is necessary". Safeguards are only necessary with people you don't trust. Kat doesn't need to word carefully because she trusts Rey to make the right decision for the situation at hand. And so do I.
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Post by aline on May 31, 2015 19:46:51 GMT
If Tony is genuinely just here to fix Annie's shit, that would be very noble of him regardless of the terrible, terrible first impression he made on everyone. Buuuuuut...much like Kat, I'm still not convinced. There must be some kind of ulterior motive. Even if it also has to do with Annie, I just don't buy he's only there to keep her from failing out of school. Of course he isn't. If Annie's homework really is the only thing Tony has to worry about, we have to ask ourselves: Where the hell did he disappear without leaving any address? Why would he order scalpel deliveries by satellite? How did he loose his hand? Even without considering all the weird stuff since he came back, there are a lot of things that aren't explained by schoolwork concerns.
No, there's more. He's just clever enough to not keep all the notes on his desk.
Yeah, that's how I see it too. I think Annie is unable to have a frontal confrontation with her father, but she can manage to keep secrets from him in order to protect her friends. Which is really good news, because this Annie who would just hand over Rey looked like a complete stranger to me.
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Post by aline on May 30, 2015 7:36:57 GMT
I think calling Anthony a fool is a reckless thing to do, dear Renard. Whatever he is doing he is probably hiding from the court as well, so he won't keep it on his desk. I mean, the guy kept his location a secret from his best friend and communicated with him through coded messages. Kat is going to need more imagination than that if she wants to find anything out.
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Post by aline on May 29, 2015 8:02:02 GMT
Don't forget that Rey is a dangerous demon who used to be chained in a prison. They can't just make him disappear. It would attract a lot of attention from the wrong people. It's easier if the court thinks Anthony controls him.
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Post by aline on May 28, 2015 13:00:19 GMT
To me it does look like Annie has knowingly passed control of Rey to Kat. She was embarassed by her father's questions and she didn't look at all surprised by her dad's difficulties with being obeyed. I'm glad to see she still has some will to resist. I don't think that particular trick will hold very long though. Anthony isn't an idiot.
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Post by aline on May 22, 2015 10:07:55 GMT
They would be if Annie was refusing to talk. Instead, her friends are refusing to listen to her, to talk things out with her. She probably would like that, but no one will do the hard thing and try. You think? What I hear are half answers that are there for the sole purpose to deflect criticism to her dad, and do not answer anything at all. "I don't think anything fishy's going on." "He didn't" (cut my hair, humiliate me, or did anything wrong or unusual in any way) "I'm totally fine! Don't worry! Look, I'm totally smiling about this! Can't you see me smiling?" I see lots of denial in typical Annie "there is nothing to see here" language, that's all. The one thing that got somewhat close to an attempt at heart to heart conversation was this page: www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=1503No, I don't see how to blame Kat for trying to get some answers on her own.
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