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Post by saardvark on Mar 20, 2019 13:10:03 GMT
Time to turn the Ashray into an.... Ashtray my spellchecker keeps doing that (annoyingly) anyway....
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Post by saardvark on Mar 18, 2019 15:26:10 GMT
Perhaps, they'll go through this door to find everyone in party hats, as the Ashray was an illusion of Kat's tech? It'll be interesting to see if there are effects from swapping the necklace. If Tony's behavior swaps, why would Surma's necklace affect him so? It'll be more interesting to see Frannie and Courtnie have different relationships with him. The path not traveled, and all that. Hmm, building on gpvos' idea: the necklace itself is the alchemical symbol for the element Antimony. However, both of her mother's names are also associated with Antimony: surma is Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, and Russian for Kohl, the black eye cosmetic (also called kohl) used in S Asia and Egypt made of ground stibnite = Antimony Sulfide (Sb 2S 3). (Note the sulfur, often associated with fire!). And wasn't Annie's grandmother also named Antimony? There is a strong link among carriers of the fire elemental to the element antimony. Is the necklace something they have passed down, generation after generation of fire elemental hosts? In alchemy, antimony symbolizes a free spirit, and an animal/natural side - which seems suitable for both Surma and Annie. Here's a wildspecky thought: maybe the Antimony necklace is not just a memento, but maybe a vessel of sorts - containing some small fraction of the spirit of each fire elemental host, so that some small part is not lost for all time in the elemental transference. If Tony can somehow vaguely sense this, that when the necklace is near there are tens of shards of host souls nearby, including his own beloved Surma, no wonder he gets uneasy and goes stiff and weird, as if another person was in the room triggering his personality quirk...
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Post by saardvark on Mar 18, 2019 7:34:16 GMT
So they're back at their staring point now, but the door is open, suggesting Parley had returned and found them missing (?). And also, blue goo from the ashray... did Parley enter, encounter/battle the ashray, and is now looking for the Annie's in panic in the huge hole in the floor? The Scooby gang must be totally freaked out!
edit: no, Corvo the wise crow is right, this is not the the starting point. Never mind!
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Post by saardvark on Mar 15, 2019 13:24:38 GMT
Could someone tell me the name of the font Tom uses, and where I might find it? Thanks.
Ales and wenches, I think?
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Post by saardvark on Mar 15, 2019 12:45:14 GMT
that goatee gets 'em every time.....
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Post by saardvark on Mar 13, 2019 18:19:56 GMT
Building on jda's excellent idea on the last page's thread ([2120], page 2), it seems like Loup has split Annie in a way that the two halves have slightly different aspects of original-Annie's personality: Courtnie has the more fiery, aggressive, confident, assertive, fearless, bold, angry, harsher side of Annie (arising perhaps from her fire-elemental character) while Frannie/Sylvie has more introverted, thoughtful, cautious, empathetic, self critical side (arising from the human side, Tony especially). Perhaps this odd twinning is a secret boon, allowing Annie to better understand herself, and eventually better able to integrate both aspects of her character into a positive, productive whole (if she reunites) or to work together effectively and grow to love both sides of herself and see how both are integral and important (if she remains as twins). I don't know if I buy this theory simply because it just seems too hokey for Tom. But also: Courtnie has been through a lot in the last 6 months. She's had to deal with Tony and things apparently haven't gone her way, she and the rest of the Court have been thrown into this war of attrition against the Forest, and she's been heralded as the savior of the Court that ended the attacks from the Forest. That could drastically change anyone's personality, especially a temperamental 14/15 year old girl, even without some contrived personality-split-in-half thing. On the other hand, Sylvie is not in a place of power in the Court anymore. She's the Annie that has to reintegrate and had her entire support system ripped out from under her. So she's not going to be spitting fire and venom like Courtnie is largely because she feels vulnerable and alone, but also because if she swaggered into this situation with a temper like that, she'd likely have been imprisoned nearly immediately. Sylvie doesn't have the luxury to be haughty and petulant. Furthermore, if this theory was true, Sylvie would have been more reserved and sensitive and, dare I say it, easily manipulated in her conversation with Loup. But she had her anger, her fire, her sass while she was there all the way until the very last page. guess Im just a hokey kind of guy.... see my reply to Per. I think you are reading what I wrote as a more stark split than I meant it. I basically agree with what you're saying, you may be right. But the differences between Courtnie and Frannie/Sylvie are sometimes pretty stark. Nature (i.e, Loup split induced) or nurture (different timelines/experiences)? Could be either, even a bit of both. I just raise the "nature" side (if Loup can be called natural!) as an alternative theory.
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Post by saardvark on Mar 13, 2019 15:53:07 GMT
While all that's happening here is all well and good, there's this part of my brain that can't stop wondering how long they have before Parley starts looking for them... or the ashray! Is it still floundering around in the water ineffectually? it seems it can crawl up walls and stairwells, so Im surprised it hasn't followed them. Maybe the Annies fell close to its "nest"and it was bering territorially protective. Once the Annies left, Mr Ashray settled down to blowing bubbles, or blue-oozing around, or poking things with its scorpion paws, or whatever bored ashrays do...
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Post by saardvark on Mar 13, 2019 13:42:49 GMT
Building on jda's excellent idea on the last page's thread ([2120], page 2), it seems like Loup has split Annie in a way that the two halves have slightly different aspects of original-Annie's personality: She seemed to display a normal range of attitudes talking to Loup in the forest, though. Agreed. Im not saying the split is 100% sharp and clean; Courtnie doesnt have all the fire, Frannie doesnt have all the empathy. Clearly Courtnie in todays comic, after verbally flogging Frannie to tears, does finally show some empathy, thoughtfulness & introspection. I guess Im just saying that the split was uneven, and the resulting Annies have slightly different personalities, with some traits weighted more in one, some more in the other....
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Post by saardvark on Mar 13, 2019 12:44:34 GMT
That turned around much faster than I anticipated. I figured Courtnie would need half a page of silent contemplation or more before she'd start trying to carefully amend her previous statements into something less belligerent yet here she is backpedaling. I wonder if Antimony's long-speculated etheric attractiveness could work on herself. Frannie's etheric attractiveness might have an especially strong effect on Courtnie, since the latter seems more ruled by the more fiery/impetuous etheric/"elemental" part of their joint nature.
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Post by saardvark on Mar 13, 2019 8:43:28 GMT
Building on jda's excellent idea on the last page's thread ([2120], page 2), it seems like Loup has split Annie in a way that the two halves have slightly different aspects of original-Annie's personality: Courtnie has the more fiery, aggressive, confident, assertive, fearless, bold, angry, harsher side of Annie (arising perhaps from her fire-elemental character) while Frannie/Sylvie has more introverted, thoughtful, cautious, empathetic, self critical side (arising from the human side, Tony especially). Perhaps this odd twinning is a secret boon, allowing Annie to better understand herself, and eventually better able to integrate both aspects of her character into a positive, productive whole (if she reunites) or to work together effectively and grow to love both sides of herself and see how both are integral and important (if she remains as twins).
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Post by saardvark on Mar 13, 2019 8:24:57 GMT
What I see here is this last panel, thus giving me the theory that Courtnie is really the FireAugmentedAnnie, and Fannie the ...Human(Tony?)AugmentedAnnie, and that each one is part of the real one, as in the mentioned arc. Great find! I think you've got a good idea here... it shows up strongly in how they confront difficulties - Courtnie with anger/aggression (fire) and Frannie with deer-in-the-headlights freezing and self criticism (Tony-like).
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Post by saardvark on Mar 13, 2019 8:08:17 GMT
New wildspec: it's the necklace that makes Tony unable to talk with the Annie that wears it. Which suggests the necklace hosts a person. some element of Surma, perhaps?
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Post by saardvark on Mar 12, 2019 15:43:28 GMT
It might take some time for this to happen - Surma lived perhaps 5-6 years after Annie was born. That still gives the comic lots of time to explore the split Annies perspective, but also may put some urgency into them working together to save them both. Longer, even. Surma died one month before Annie came to Gunnerkrigg Court. That means, she still lived for 11 or 12 years. although, oddly, Annie is shown conveying her mother into the ether when quite young! www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=530Remembering this image is what confused my memory. There seems an inconsistency in ages here....
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Post by saardvark on Mar 12, 2019 15:34:17 GMT
It might take some time for this to happen - Surma lived perhaps 5-6 years after Annie was born. That still gives the comic lots of time to explore the split Annies perspective, but also may put some urgency into them working together to save them both. Longer, even. Surma died one month before Annie came to Gunnerkrigg Court. That means, she still lived for 11 or 12 years. quite right! so that means a lot of double Annie action, even if they eventually have to find a way to remerge. On the other hand, Surma was apparently bed-ridden for years, perhaps from the time Annie was 5 or so. Definitely hope that doesnt hold for the Annies! edit: looking at your linked page, Surma was bedridden soon after Annie's birth. So assuming the Annies are split from the original-Annie, and they clearly both host some part of a fire-elemental, they are are already existing differently than after the Annie-Surma fire-elemental split: neither is bed-ridden, or even sick/weak! Maybe is because in the Annie-Surma case, the split was complete (or almost so)... ALL (or nearly all) the elemental went to Annie, and Surma could not survive indefinitely without it. Here, the split is probably more even, and maybe the weakening will be much slower.
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Post by saardvark on Mar 12, 2019 13:13:16 GMT
I also keep wondering why they don't try to merge from within the ether, or at least take a look at the situation from there. Remember how the forest bunny didn't recognize Annie when she had cut out the ether part of herself? After all, Surma couldn't survive having kids because there wasn't enough etheric essence for two persons. So how is there enough now? Also changeling fetch legends. Although I think it's more powerful that both Annies are real and we get this wild perspective into the character. F!Annie has already peeked at C!Annie in the ether, and C!Annie's ether self looked decidedly odd - fragmentary, ragged www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=2069It's been speculated before, but is this some indication that the split has destabilized the fire elemental portion of the Annies? That they must be rejoined for the elemental to survive... maybe for he Annies to survive? It might take some time for this to happen - Surma lived perhaps 5-6 years after Annie was born. That still gives the comic lots of time to explore the split Annies perspective, but also may put some urgency into them working together to save them both.
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Post by saardvark on Mar 11, 2019 12:32:30 GMT
We're finally getting to see just how much Annie beats herself up. She has no system to self-soothe, just like her father. Court!Annie is the critical parent. Nothing either Annie does will ever be good enough. She believes she has to be harsh on herself to be worth anything. Forest!Annie is more of a vulnerable child. She's being open and free with her feelings, possibly allowing Anthony to connect more with someone less like him. She's a side that the critical part of Annie works tirelessly to suppress. I believe conversations like these have been happening in Annie's head her whole life. Add a time and experience difference, and suddenly it's a lot more intense. Like an actual other person who hates you with the intensity you already hate yourself. Though I think now at least other people have an opportunity to witness this. And help. That's my psychological reading well, read Ruthie; welcome to the forum!
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Post by saardvark on Mar 8, 2019 13:51:05 GMT
Well, Tony does do a kind of "deep reveal" and say that putting up with himself is "his worst nightmare" - indicating to his own daughter the depths of his self doubt and self loathing. Huh, I had interpreted that line very differently. "Having to put up with yourself? That's basically my nightmare." => "You're having to live with an Annie too now? Welcome to the hell that my life has been for the last six months!" hah! hadn't thought of it that way... it would be kind of a sideways dig at her (implying "Annies are real difficult people to deal with") so would seem kind of mean to be delivered with such a light-hearted laugh & shrug. Although, given today's comic ("... not that you care" [2119]), Courtney does seem a bit of a handful...
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Post by saardvark on Mar 6, 2019 9:49:23 GMT
It'snot as if they were talking about anything substantial, exclamations at the weirdness of the situation, followed by helping with cooking etc. Although given that even going that far is a massive step up for both Tony and Annie shows just how broken they are. Well, Tony does do a kind of "deep reveal" and say that putting up with himself is "his worst nightmare" - indicating to his own daughter the depths of his self doubt and self loathing. It's done as an amusing toss off, but it is a deep and profound thing to unveil about oneself, especially to one's child. Maybe he senses something in Frannie that made him more open to share some of his core feelings about himself...? Maybe just that they are both oddly like fish out of water in their own lives, Frannie more recently due to the twinning/time delay, but Tony... like forever.
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Post by saardvark on Mar 5, 2019 11:51:21 GMT
Well, I liked it more as Monky,thankyouverymuch That name was too misleading for me; it looked too close to "monkey", when the being itself didn't look anything like a monkey. Of course, as others have pointed out here, "ashray" is probably too close to "ash tray" - but I think the added h establishes it more as the webcomic's own creation. (The original asrai of legend seem to have been far more humanlike in appearance.) well, there's always Dunkle-monk-pion or Scorpo-dunkle-monkfish.... Dunky and Scorpy?
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Post by saardvark on Feb 25, 2019 15:56:43 GMT
I wonder what the fire flakes getting out of Courtnie's hair mean. Anyway, she started explaining her cool fire trick - that she got from Kat - without being asked to. Sounds like she actually trusts the other Annie and doesn't dislike her that much to me. I seem to remember seeing similar fire fragments come off of Annie (or Frannie) before - they were more rounded embers though, rather than these angular fire-shards. My take is that she trusts Frannie (as being real, not a Forest spy, and not physically dangerous to her), but feels threatened by her emotionally (that she's potentially disruptive to her relationships with Kat and her father). Frannie has also been relatively pleasant/supportive to her just recently, asking if she's ok after the fall, and now admiring her new fire-craft and wanting to learn about it. So maybe the ice is breaking a bit....
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Post by saardvark on Feb 21, 2019 19:03:06 GMT
I think panel one here has Courtnie, who was previously on her knees getting up www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=2111 (panel 4), now diving forward to evade the Dunklemonkpion (BlueGuy), who was descending on her almost from above (panel 5, p2111). Dunky was taken by surprise... expecting to land on and smoosh/eat an Annie, instead hits tunnel bottom hard and thrashes about a bit to get its footing (finning?) - panel 2. This delay, combined with the heavy head-shield which generally makes it slow, allows our intrepid Annies to escape...
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Post by saardvark on Feb 21, 2019 18:55:17 GMT
In which Annies fall ten metres into a foot of water on concrete without shattering all their hips and such. Like with the water (it goes up!), gravity shenanigans, comrade lots of weird gravity shenanigans here, actually. The Annies snd some flooring pieces fall, maybe more slowly than usual (?), while the water(?) on the walls still flows up (panel 1). Panel 2 still shows a flooring piece splash down in the background. Panel 3 shows a flooring piece, either still falling (should have splashed down by now, unless it broke off later) or possible suspended in mid-air (!! ... no "movement marks" to indicate direction of motion, if any). Panel 4 shows water dripping down off the Annies normally. But panel 5 shows Monkleopion/ Dunklemonkpion/ Scorpodunklemonkfish/ That Blue Guy sliding down at Courtnie from the high wall behind her, and all around him the water "flows up". Gravity seems to depend on location in this tunnel! Or maybe possibly the BlueGuy has some control over gravity locally?
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Post by saardvark on Feb 20, 2019 8:24:19 GMT
Big blue thing (Monky? Dunky?) seems pretty slow. Heavy head shield slowing it down!
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Post by saardvark on Feb 20, 2019 5:00:55 GMT
This menacing Monkleoscorpion can totally be their friendly way out of the sewers Monkfish + Dunkleosteus + Scorpion = Monkleoscorpion or Monky for their friends Great name! Love it! Or (only slightly rearranging): Dunkleosteus + Monkfish + Scorpion = Dunkle-monk-pion or Dunky for their friends [EDIT:] or Scorpion + Dunkleosteus + Monkfish = Scorpo-dunkle-monk (fish) Scorpy to his friends... name that beasty!
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Post by saardvark on Feb 18, 2019 18:15:46 GMT
It seems to combine the general appearance of a monkfish: monkfish.tiff (222.08 KB) with the armored head-shield of a Paleozoic placoderm (similar to glyphomatrix' idea): placoderm.tiff (466.71 KB) but the front "fins" seem to be tipped with something akin to a scorpion's sting... scorpion.tiff (616.7 KB) Annies better watch out for those. If like a monkfish, they are related to anglerfish and can suck things into their mouths with great force. If like a placoderm, they'll be difficult to combat head-on due to the heavy armor... best to attack from the rear, behind the head-shield. Headshield may also make it a bit front-heavy and a bit slow. Maybe! Looks like you like those lossless image formats. Are you a designer? Anyway, I thought more on the line of a Dunkleosteus bony head with the Monkfish body plus water because magic we fully agree! Dunkleosteus is merely one of the largest (~6 meters long) and nastiest of the placoderm (= [armour]plate-skinned) family. The image I clipped was of Coccosteus, a much smaller (0.4 meters long) relative of the Dunkle-dude. I'm an astronomer. I analyze high resolution images a lot, sometimes looking for something very faint, so its important not to have any lossy compressions or I can lose my signal. By force of habit (and laziness), I generally make images that way...
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Post by saardvark on Feb 18, 2019 17:19:51 GMT
Wednesday: a big chunk of the floor... er, ceiling falls on Mr. Scorpionfish and smooshes him. ...into many puddles, each of which morphs into an adorable little scorpion-placoderm-monkfish, surrounding our heroes...
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Post by saardvark on Feb 18, 2019 15:33:17 GMT
That's one bad ass looking monkfish-type monster creeping up. Fortunately there's an escape door nearby, if they can fend it off first. It seems to combine the general appearance of a monkfish: monkfish.tiff (222.08 KB) with the armored head-shield of a Paleozoic placoderm (similar to glyphomatrix' idea): placoderm.tiff (466.71 KB) but the front "fins" seem to be tipped with something akin to a scorpion's sting... scorpion.tiff (616.7 KB) Annies better watch out for those. If like a monkfish, they are related to anglerfish and can suck things into their mouths with great force. If like a placoderm, they'll be difficult to combat head-on due to the heavy armor... best to attack from the rear, behind the head-shield. Headshield may also make it a bit front-heavy and a bit slow. Maybe!
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Post by saardvark on Feb 15, 2019 15:10:47 GMT
More realistic wildspec, but I can't help wonder if we'll see the tic-tocs again this chapter. they have saved falling Annies before....
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Post by saardvark on Feb 15, 2019 15:01:39 GMT
Maybe this was all set up by Loup before hand. The message was prerecorded... he knew what creature was coming. It will be a test for the Annies, to force them to cooperate to defeat the threat... and in the process "gently convince" them to stop bickering and work together to find and return his gifts. Or he would test them some more. Maybe poke them with soft cushions....
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Post by saardvark on Feb 14, 2019 1:34:15 GMT
or totally extinguish fire? in a mighty deluge of water?
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