[383]Valid moves and other things.

[edzepp]

Things happen here.

Jones and Eglamore= still talking

Annie=still suspicious.

Parley=still totally awesome.

Smitty= My Gosh those eyebrows.

[popo]

those eyebrows

[Mezzaphor]

Jo and Eggers' pose in panel 5 is identical to the last panel of the previous page. I think this is supposed to be happening simultaneously with the last page.

[Count Casimir]

Jo! Eggers!

ANNIE BEING VERY SUSPISHERUS!

I am tempted to use the phrase "Zomg" to describe this situation. Another alternative is "Huspag."

It occurs to me that this Joggers thing (time for an informal vote; is Janes still better?) must be fairly recent, since Eggnog was having troubles getting over Surma.

Also Parley Parley has a dirty mind and it's absolutely wonderful.

EDIT: And Annie, I don't believe there are "valid moves" in a sparring match where one person has a huge sword and the other is a petite unarmed lady. EDITED EDIT: Even if she is ridiculously cool.

Bleah, sorry. Edit thrice: And it looks as if the various speculations about it actually having hit her face also have some traction.

[mudmaniac]

Parley Parley is like a freight train.
My best guess is that her diet contains sugar, caffeine, and a dietary supplement currently unexplained by the science of man.

I can't help by wonder. Is Annie suspicious? Or is that something else?

The clot thickens.

I gather that Annie is going to be extra careful with Jones. Though, as it is, Jones seems to be the kinda person I perceive Annie growing up to become.

[Neon]

mudmaniac said:

Jones seems to be the kinda person I perceive Annie growing up to become.

Why? Annie is a lot more open than she is. She shows emotion. She has facial expressions. And she's a lot less creepy, too. Jones is closer to the way Annie was in the beginning of the comic, but Annie's character is constantly developing and she's becoming a warmer person.

[eightyfour]

Annie isn't suspicious, she's just observant.

[mudmaniac]

neon said:

mudmaniac said:

Jones seems to be the kinda person I perceive Annie growing up to become.

Why? Annie is a lot more open than she is. She shows emotion. She has facial expressions. And she's a lot less creepy, too. Jones is closer to the way Annie was in the beginning of the comic, but Annie's character is constantly developing and she's becoming a warmer person.

I should elaborate. Annie was pretty normal and happy prior to the death of her mother. Her confrontation with the guides (possibly at the point of Surma's death) likely caused her to begin distancing herself as she does now.

No matter what kind of progress she makes, I would think that she will have to come to terms with the guides and with her mother's death or it would all be for naught.

So in short, as it is (if she does not come to terms with these things), I think she is going to end up like Jones.

[Tenjen]

Why? Annie is a lot more open than she is. She shows emotion. She has facial expressions. And she's a lot less creepy, too. Jones is closer to the way Annie was in the beginning of the comic, but Annie's character is constantly developing and she's becoming a warmer person.

From what i see Jones isnt all too cold and has shown warmth and caring. She's just a bit expressionless. She's similar in charector to Annie.

But Annie still has things wiating to occur that will shape her charector.

I sense jealousy from Annie towards Jones subtle physical affections to eglamore. SHe knows theres history behind the touch's.

She's also nit picking details to criticize on. Parley seems to know more than she can let on [she seems to take things she knows as fact, not realize there are people who dont know what she knows] She implies a chance of probability that the sword hit Jones face, as if it wouldnt have mattered if it did or not, meaning she knows why...

either that or she's distracted or being a person to sit and think, she hasnt truly considered what annie said

[todd]

mudmaniac said:

I should elaborate. Annie was pretty normal and happy prior to the death of her mother. Her confrontation with the guides (possibly at the point of Surma's death) likely caused her to begin distancing herself as she does now.

Annie was shown acting solemn and serious in the "broken glass" flashback in Chapter Eight, which took place while Surma was still alive. Whatever caused her to be that way, therefore, must have preceded Surma's death.

I'm not certain about Annie's portrayal as apparently jealous. There has been no suggestion up until now that she was attracted to Eglamore; that was Kat's trait. Either Tom is suddenly adding in a crush without preparing us for it (and he's shown no signs of slipping that badly before now), or else there's a different reason for her response to what's going on between Eglamore and Jones. I hope it's the latter.

[Mezzaphor]

I like how, this whole chapter, Annie hasn't admitted to being impressed with anything Jones has said or done. Jones gives her a history of the Court and Medium; Annie tries to poke holes in the story and figure out which side Jones is on. Jones disarms Eglamore; Annie questions if that's a valid move.

todd said:

I'm not certain about Annie's portrayal as apparently jealous. There has been no suggestion up until now that she was attracted to Eglamore; that was Kat's trait. Either Tom is suddenly adding in a crush without preparing us for it (and he's shown no signs of slipping that badly before now), or else there's a different reason for her response to what's going on between Eglamore and Jones. I hope it's the latter.

Back in ch 9, Annie fixed up her hair before she walked in to see Eglamore. Maybe she was just composing herself... or maybe she wanted to look nice for Eggers because she has a bit of a crush on him. And considering how good Annie has been at hiding things from the audience (Prior to ch 6, how many of us knew how torn up she was about Surma's death? Prior to ch 14, how many of us suspected she was capable of theft?) that kind of isolated, ambiguous clue might be the only foreshadowing we get.

But if Annie did have a crush on Eg, I imagine it died pretty soon after ch 14, assuming she got the meaning behind Coyote's "Eglamore you hound!" comment.

I bet Annie's more jealous of the obvious camaraderie and shared history between these four people. Being a fifth wheel is never fun. Maybe that's part of why she's being a snark queen.

[tonie]

mezzaphor said:

I like how, this whole chapter, Annie hasn't admitted to being impressed with anything Jones has said or done. Jones gives her a history of the Court and Medium; Annie tries to poke holes in the story and figure out which side Jones is on. Jones disarms Eglamore; Annie questions if that's a valid move.

Yeah, good observation. Annie doesn't get easily impressed, even by super-human Jones. I presume this would make her a good mediator. And now she actually defends Eggers against Jones' defeat of him, and that last look of hers at Jones touching his arm definitely isn't happy... Either Annie, too, has a crush on Eggers (as we all do!) or she's upset on her mother's behalf.

[cenit]

She's just observant...when you're in a place like the court, experiencing all the things that she does, it just normal that one keeps an eye to look for info anywhere... and that there is a damn interesting source of info

Also, you gotta luv the expression of Smith in pannel 2!! Also, wasn't Parley carrying the green (jacket?) on pannel 2 and 3...why is she taking it from Smith on pannel 4?

Also (2), I bet Smith is looking over in the same direction as Annie, being all observant like...

And I maintain my point that Jones might have been, somehow, struck on the face.

And finally, Jones rocks...and Annie rocks...and Smith rocks... and Parley of course... man I'm sleepy

[edzepp]

cenit: I'm pretty sure she's GIVING it to him. Y'know, since she's gonna go change and everything.

[Boksha]

Seen this one before:
www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=376
Either Annie is trying to figure Jones out or she IS jealous. Interesting.

[Per]

mudmaniac said:

My best guess is that her diet contains sugar, caffeine, and a dietary supplement currently unexplained by the science of man.

She ate Zimmy's science experiment.

mezzaphor said:

I like how, this whole chapter, Annie hasn't admitted to being impressed with anything Jones has said or done. Jones gives her a history of the Court and Medium; Annie tries to poke holes in the story and figure out which side Jones is on. Jones disarms Eglamore; Annie questions if that's a valid move.

I liked that as well. Most people are like, "woooo", Annie's looking at it as if Superman just won the long jump at the Olympics.

[fr4tbrn]

Annie's head seems bigger than Smith's or Parley Parley's.

And is this a regular class? I'm assuming this isn't just for mediums, then?

[Riess]

I am now excited.

[Boksha]

fr4tbrn said:

And is this a regular class? I'm assuming this isn't just for mediums, then?

I think this class was just PE. Note also that Eglamore was the one teaching. Up next is Parley, Annie and Smith for medium class.

[Midnight Meadows]

Careful, Jones, your humanity is showing.

[Mezzaphor]

The last panel of today's comic seems a bit familiar. I'd say Jones is definitely a foil for Miss Carver.

[Count Casimir]

My basic guess is that Annie is somewhat confused about Eglamore's feelings concerning Surma. Since Sura is gone, Annie has to go through the whole "old flame moving on" phase FOR her.

[mudmaniac]

todd said:

Annie was shown acting solemn and serious in the "broken glass" flashback in Chapter Eight, which took place while Surma was still alive. Whatever caused her to be that way, therefore, must have preceded Surma's death.

I would chalk that up to having just broken something.

About that sword tho, I wonder if they were using practice swords that lack cutting edges? Like Tom said, it would be bad for class to accidentally impale someone.

[fr4tbrn]

So this means she doesn't deflect swords with her face... le sad.

EDIT: On the subject of Jones, you know who really reminds me of her? (physically)
Michael Michele. Especially her stint in House MD.
www.tvguide.com/images/pgimg/house-10249.jpg

[gdwarf]

Um, being hit in the face by a practice sword swung like that would hurt.

Not only would it hurt, it should knock you over and/or break something.

So, if nothing else, Jones could probably break your foot with her face, should she wish to.

[Goatmon]

mudmaniac said:

neon said:

Why? Annie is a lot more open than she is. She shows emotion. She has facial expressions. And she's a lot less creepy, too. Jones is closer to the way Annie was in the beginning of the comic, but Annie's character is constantly developing and she's becoming a warmer person.

I should elaborate. Annie was pretty normal and happy prior to the death of her mother. Her confrontation with the guides (possibly at the point of Surma's death) likely caused her to begin distancing herself as she does now.

No matter what kind of progress she makes, I would think that she will have to come to terms with the guides and with her mother's death or it would all be for naught.

So in short, as it is (if she does not come to terms with these things), I think she is going to end up like Jones.

I think that her mother's death has less to do with her personality than the absence of her father.

[fr4tbrn]

I think it's also part of her nature. In the flashback of her talking to Muut as a child, she's already trying to show politeness in referring to her parents as "mother" and "father", a quality not often displayed in young kids. It might just be something that's developing while she's still young.

Of course, I could be wrong...

[Mezzaphor]

Growing up in Good Hope, she probably didn't run into many kids her own age. I imagine she took after the company she kept -- adults, and later the Guides. Even with that in mind, the way Annie handled her meeting with Martin proved her to be wise beyond her years.

As for her solemnity, perhaps four years of mediating for ghosts like Martin had something to do with it. Your guess is as good as mine.