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Post by TBeholder on Aug 3, 2021 9:07:32 GMT
(I'm guessing the other Shadow Men may already be running away, as part of the original plan, but even so, Loup may be turning the stragglers into mushrooms). Running from a canine can provoke a certain reaction. Also, why mushrooms? Loup as mostly unbalanced version of 'Grin is likely to be more… “fangs-on” type. |
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Post by rafk on Aug 3, 2021 11:21:08 GMT
What he did was commit an act of war against Coyote while standing in the forest under banner of truce, pretty much justifying any retaliation that is about to happen.
Any of them that return alive and in one piece that's more or less the same shape as the one they entered the forest in should consider themselves most fortunate.
Oh, and in doing so he has ALSO played right into Coyote's hands and probably helped recharge Loup's energy in some way, while returning the Coyote memory to him in the situation Coyote wanted it to happen.
3 points for effort, minus several million for results, Aata.
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Post by Gemminie on Aug 3, 2021 15:21:14 GMT
(I'm guessing the other Shadow Men may already be running away, as part of the original plan, but even so, Loup may be turning the stragglers into mushrooms). Running from a canine can provoke a certain reaction. Also, why mushrooms? Loup as mostly unbalanced version of 'Grin is likely to be more… “fangs-on” type. My thought was that the Shadow Men might have been told to start running once the energy transfer happened, no matter whether it worked or not. I guess it depends on what Aata's "plan B" is, if he has one. I was thinking that, if they're already running, Loup might only be able to eat/decapitate/etc. a couple of them before they scatter too much. A more magical solution that fixes them to the ground would hit them all at once. But I'm not sure he'll be thinking that clearly. |
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caber
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Post by caber on Aug 3, 2021 18:57:56 GMT
"Right. Sir Eglamore, miss Parley, I trust you know your duties? If you need me, I'll be questioning my choices in life." -Aata, maybe.
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rabbit
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Post by rabbit on Aug 3, 2021 19:48:55 GMT
There is so much going on here: Coyote has said that Loup will attack. Loup has been told that Annie has a weapon which can kill him. Loup is a combination of two entities that love Annie, or at least hold her in high regard. The Court has attacked, or at least tried to trick/trap Loup. All the Court representatives present were not aware of the Shadow Men's scheme, and may not have supported it if they were. Aata is apparently far more than he appears, but what his abilities are we don't yet know. The thing that creates the most tension for me, though, is that we can't see the expression on Loup's face. Props to saardvark for calling it - the arched back, lowered head, and tense legs are a common sight for us dog people: that stance says the canine is going to either run or get all bite-y in the next few seconds. the stance of Loup. in the last frame is like that of a fearful, cornered dog. Or maybe its just the impact of all those memories and Coyote's "essence" suddenly slamming into his head? The expression I expect to see when Loup turns is rage, based on his nature - but will it be something else? Sadness, resignation, realization? Crap, now rabbit has to be patient. Rabbit is not good at being patient. |
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Post by saardvark on Aug 3, 2021 23:22:03 GMT
The thing that creates the most tension for me, though, is that we can't see the expression on Loup's face. Props to saardvark for calling it - the arched back, lowered head, and tense legs are a common sight for us dog people: that stance says the canine is going to either run or get all bite-y in the next few seconds. the stance of Loup. in the last frame is like that of a fearful, cornered dog. Or maybe its just the impact of all those memories and Coyote's "essence" suddenly slamming into his head? The expression I expect to see when Loup turns is rage, based on his nature - but will it be something else? Sadness, resignation, realization? Crap, now rabbit has to be patient. Rabbit is not good at being patient. Fear, sadness at the realization that his fate is a high speed train, heading for him now, unstoppable. Could make him lash out in frustration/anger... he's probably on the knife's edge of fight/flight here. Rabbit not good at being patient. Rabbit good at hopping! |
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mzpx
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Post by mzpx on Aug 4, 2021 6:22:59 GMT
What he did was commit an act of war against Coyote while standing in the forest under banner of truce, pretty much justifying any retaliation that is about to happen. I mean, Loup broke that truce and openly started hostilities. The only reason he hasn't destroyed the Court is because he can't/he needs something. He has made it very clear that this is a temporary, one-sided decision, not a real truce. Of course his promise about not attacking the Court is not trusted either. So Aata's act is completely justified. The war has started already - this was not a truce, but a brief interlude in hostilities that Loup could restart at any moment, of course Aata tried to take advantage. (Oh, and Aata thought Coyote was gone entirely, and this was only Loup, so this was not an act intended against Coyote.) |
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Post by saardvark on Aug 4, 2021 15:39:58 GMT
What he did was commit an act of war against Coyote while standing in the forest under banner of truce, pretty much justifying any retaliation that is about to happen. I mean, Loup broke that truce and openly started hostilities. The only reason he hasn't destroyed the Court is because he can't/he needs something. He has made it very clear that this is a temporary, one-sided decision, not a real truce. Of course his promise about not attacking the Court is not trusted either. So Aata's act is completely justified. The war has started already - this was not a truce, but a brief interlude in hostilities that Loup could restart at any moment, of course Aata tried to take advantage. (Oh, and Aata thought Coyote was gone entirely, and this was only Loup, so this was not an act intended against Coyote.) Agreed, there is a war on, started by Loup. But it is highly dubious and underhanded to attack your opponent while under a cease-fire of sorts, arranged to return an item your side possesses that is owned by said opponent. Your last point raises an interesting idea though: if Aata did not realize Coyote could still manifest as a "memory fragment", he might have been anticipating that returning the lake water might cause a Loup -> Coyote full transformation/reversion. Hence Aata's broad smile when he initiates it with "now": www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=2488 ... it was all transpiring just as he thought it would, and his plan would work perfectly. Up to that point anyway! The attack was perhaps aimed at de-etherizing the revived Coyote, rendering him powerless, just at the moment that Loup ceased to be. Thus the Court would eliminate two problems at once. Coyote "memory bit" actually looks surprised/concerned at first (panel 4)... www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=2489... but gets the hang of riding/surfing the ether-drain-beam and out-races it, bursting free (panel 6) www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=2490(note the right edge this panel shows gray; Coyote "mem bit" stops time halfway through the panel, upon blowing out of the ether-beam, which stops dead!) So Aata's plan fails, partly because Coyote is way more powerful/clever than he thought, but also because he didn't really understand the situation: Loup was always going to still be around (at least briefly) after Coyote appeared. And having been attacked, there's a good chance Loup would be massively POed. |
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Post by warrl on Aug 4, 2021 20:44:47 GMT
I mean, Loup broke that truce and openly started hostilities. The only reason he hasn't destroyed the Court is because he can't/he needs something. He has made it very clear that this is a temporary, one-sided decision, not a real truce. Of course his promise about not attacking the Court is not trusted either. So Aata's act is completely justified. The war has started already - this was not a truce, but a brief interlude in hostilities that Loup could restart at any moment, of course Aata tried to take advantage. (Oh, and Aata thought Coyote was gone entirely, and this was only Loup, so this was not an act intended against Coyote.) Agreed, there is a war on, started by Loup. But it is highly dubious and underhanded to attack your opponent while under a cease-fire of sorts, arranged to return an item your side possesses that is owned by said opponent. But Loup had already clearly initiated an attack on the Shadow Men. Just because that attack hadn't gotten to them yet doesn't make it not count. |
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Post by saardvark on Aug 4, 2021 22:18:32 GMT
Agreed, there is a war on, started by Loup. But it is highly dubious and underhanded to attack your opponent while under a cease-fire of sorts, arranged to return an item your side possesses that is owned by said opponent. But Loup had already clearly initiated an attack on the Shadow Men. Just because that attack hadn't gotten to them yet doesn't make it not count. Fair and true enough, though the shadow men are there uninvited. It's even dubious Eggs and Parley need to be there, since Loup has promised not to hurt Annie - and anyway, E&P are the Court medium's protectors, not the Forest's. Only Annie is needed to return the lake water; by bringing in others, Loup could consider the Forest invaded by unwanted enemy intruders. He may consider it in his right to attack/expel them. |
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