[2996] "I gave him a name!"

[imaginaryfriend]

Holy crap we're finally starting to rescue the surviving kids.

[arf]

Hopefully Bugsy doesn't launch into a tirade about the lack of ethics on display here...

[blahzor]

His name is Ross, her name is Chandler, their name is Monica...

[worldsong]

So Bugsy does take the contract between the Court and the fairies very seriously, and thinks that if the Court isn't honouring that contract the other fairies do deserve to receive assistance.

That's definitely better than her initial response, so I'll assume that she didn't understand the gravity of the situation.

(Although even then she seems a bit... Short-sighted.)

Of course, there is the possibility that she now gets mad at Annie for naming the other fairies before they've "earned" it, although hopefully she'll agree that if the Court is violating the contract the fairies don't have to adhere to it either, and Annie as Forest Medium would probably be 1 of the more acceptable namers in this situation (basically her looking after the children of the Forest when the Court is breaking the rules).

[Tenjen]

I wonder how many of those going with the court know that its being powered by children and how many would be horrified to find out

[kefka]

Sept 20, 2024 8:05:19 GMT yellowb said:

One thing I don't understand, though. Annie gave a name to a fairy - in the ether. Even though said fairy wasn't in the ether? I mean, his spirit was just gone. Did Annie just say to the other fairies "Hey, see that one sitting over there? The one who has lavender hair? I'll name him ________ " and that worked somehow?

No, the kids with vines are all playing in the ether. It's the girl without vines that's dead.

[jda]

Sept 20, 2024 8:10:27 GMT kefka said:

Sept 20, 2024 8:05:19 GMT yellowb said:

One thing I don't understand, though. Annie gave a name to a fairy - in the ether. Even though said fairy wasn't in the ether? I mean, his spirit was just gone. Did Annie just say to the other fairies "Hey, see that one sitting over there? The one who has lavender hair? I'll name him ________ " and that worked somehow?

No, the kids with vines are all playing in the ether. It's the girl without vines that's dead.

I would wonder if they try to wake her in the "real" world, like shaking her up, or something, would her open her eyes and procceed with her life in a life-less way?
Maybe working for the Court?
Maybe even working as a ... literal bureaucrat?

[yellowb]

Sept 20, 2024 8:10:27 GMT kefka said:

Sept 20, 2024 8:05:19 GMT yellowb said:

One thing I don't understand, though. Annie gave a name to a fairy - in the ether. Even though said fairy wasn't in the ether? I mean, his spirit was just gone. Did Annie just say to the other fairies "Hey, see that one sitting over there? The one who has lavender hair? I'll name him ________ " and that worked somehow?

No, the kids with vines are all playing in the ether. It's the girl without vines that's dead.

Yes, now I see that it wasn't lavender Annie gave a name to. Damn mornings, I tell you.

I also accidentally deleted the wrong post, too. The one where I claimed cookies for this post in the previous thread:

Sept 18, 2024 7:21:54 GMT yellowb said:

Like blahzor said in another thread, the fairies could just name themselves. Or Antimony and Renard could name them. Would that give them enough of an energy boost so they could come out of the ether?

Edit: And leave the court too?

[heranje]

I feel like I've never quite understood the fairies' culture/sense of morality beyond them being unpredictable and 'odd' (which is perhaps part of the point) but these last couple pages brought me closer to it, and it's something that aligns to the mythology around fairies. The fact that contracts/agreements made are taken very seriously and breaching them is more unacceptable than, say, killing someone while staying within the terms of the contract. Hopefully the fact that the Court have broken their promise will make it OK in their eyes for Annie to fulfil its terms by giving the kids names. Even better perhaps would be Kat naming them because there's a more solid lawyerly argument to be made for her being a representative of the Court, since Annie is after all the forest medium.

[madjack]

Welcome, Thrillho.

[Cori]

So, I have to admit, I didn't think naming this classroom of weirdos was going to be the solution to saving them. But thinking about it now--a lot of what we see in Zimmy's distortions is metaphorical, representative of the unseen world of fears and insecurities and obligations. So I'm wondering now if perhaps these vines were in part symbols of the contract between the fae and the Court. Because the Court's end of the bargain--the gift of a name--was unfulfilled, the children were still bound to their service, which is literally beginning to kill them. By naming them, the contract is fulfilled and the kids are freed from their obligation.

[OGRuddawg]

Sept 20, 2024 8:05:33 GMT worldsong said:

So Bugsy does take the contract between the Court and the fairies very seriously, and thinks that if the Court isn't honouring that contract the other fairies do deserve to receive assistance.

That's definitely better than her initial response, so I'll assume that she didn't understand the gravity of the situation.

(Although even then she seems a bit... Short-sighted.)

Of course, there is the possibility that she now gets mad at Annie for naming the other fairies before they've "earned" it, although hopefully she'll agree that if the Court is violating the contract the fairies don't have to adhere to it either, and Annie as Forest Medium would probably be 1 of the more acceptable namers in this situation (basically her looking after the children of the Forest when the Court is breaking the rules).

Back in Chapter 36 (page 994), Bugsy immediately perks up and says to Red that they can hang out all the time after Annie accidentally names Red out loud. I don't think she'll take issue with naming the faeries to release them from the tendrils and the Court's contract, especially since the Court doesn't seem to care about honoring the contract. Also on that page, Bugsy says they "usually" don't get names until they finish school, so the contract doesn't seem to be voided on the faerie's end if they get named early.

[csj]

"Kat, can you hook into behindthename dot com real quick? I have a plan."

[Corvo]

Oh, so now Bugsy is narratively and in-universe useless. Is it weird that it actually fits her character quite well?

[yellowb]

Sept 20, 2024 11:04:35 GMT OGRuddawg said:

Sept 20, 2024 8:05:33 GMT worldsong said:

So Bugsy does take the contract between the Court and the fairies very seriously, and thinks that if the Court isn't honouring that contract the other fairies do deserve to receive assistance.

That's definitely better than her initial response, so I'll assume that she didn't understand the gravity of the situation.

(Although even then she seems a bit... Short-sighted.)

Of course, there is the possibility that she now gets mad at Annie for naming the other fairies before they've "earned" it, although hopefully she'll agree that if the Court is violating the contract the fairies don't have to adhere to it either, and Annie as Forest Medium would probably be 1 of the more acceptable namers in this situation (basically her looking after the children of the Forest when the Court is breaking the rules).

Back in Chapter 36 (page 994), Bugsy immediately perks up and says to Red that they can hang out all the time after Annie accidentally names Red out loud. I don't think she'll take issue with naming the faeries to release them from the tendrils and the Court's contract, especially since the Court doesn't seem to care about honoring the contract. Also on that page, Bugsy says they "usually" don't get names until they finish school, so the contract doesn't seem to be voided on the faerie's end if they get named early.

And on page 999 Jones says that this kind of thing (someone accidentally naming a fairy) happens fairly often.

Reading that chapter again I was struck by Bugsy's reaction to the worm monster, in the first panel of this page
www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=990

Unless Ayilu's spell didn't work on Bugsy, and Bugsy just meant to say "Pretty impressive, Ayilu, but I'd rather be sleeping".

[kalechibki]

1) Annie has got to stop saying things where Meg can hear them.

2) I wonder what the unforeseen consequences of naming them all will be. Usually there are jobs available - but the people giving the jobs are leaving. So what will they do? And what will happen to the people on the ocean if they aren't doing the calculations in real time? and...

3) How might this cause an outcome where Zimmy things Kat pushed Omega to kill her?

[pyradonis]

Sept 20, 2024 8:05:33 GMT worldsong said:

Of course, there is the possibility that she now gets mad at Annie for naming the other fairies before they've "earned" it, although hopefully she'll agree that if the Court is violating the contract the fairies don't have to adhere to it either, and Annie as Forest Medium would probably be 1 of the more acceptable namers in this situation (basically her looking after the children of the Forest when the Court is breaking the rules).

Bugsy was totally cool with it when Annie accidentally named Red, congratulating Red and immediately accepting her as an equal with whom she could "hang out all the time". I'm sure she won't mind.

[Sky Schemer]

Sept 20, 2024 14:40:07 GMT kalechibki said:

2) I wonder what the unforeseen consequences of naming them all will be. Usually there are jobs available - but the people giving the jobs are leaving. So what will they do? And what will happen to the people on the ocean if they aren't doing the calculations in real time?

Not everyone is leaving. A chunk of the OG Court will still be there.

It's the second half of your question that I was wondering. What happens if all their fae labor suddenly stops? I guess it comes down to what, exactly, their work is for, which is information we don't have yet.

[Gemminie]

Previously on GKC: Bugsy enraged! Kat, Renard, Shadow, and Robopillar heard her yelling. This time, Kat enters the classroom to find out what the ruckus is about, and Bugsy is upset, mostly just shouting and kicking at air. Bugsy shouts that they have to help the students, and Annie agrees, saying that she's going to try something.

Turning to one of the students, Annie closes her eyes and presumably enters the Ether to communicate with him. Suddenly, his eyes open, the tendrils fall off him, and he starts to speak. Bugsy sees this happen and looks surprised, as the tendrils that fell off him begin to disappear. The student stands up and raises his arms exultantly, looking very happy. Annie says that she gave him a name. (Tom's comment: "A name!")

What name did she give him, I wonder? A better one than Bugsy, I hope. I think he looks like a Steven. Maybe a David. Anyway, I did say before that Annie could fix this with a mass naming binge. Let's hope she comes up with good ones. Also, I hope she explains nicknames, because Steven/David might be confused if people call him Steve/Dave.

[ctso74]

Kat still hasn't done anything to "kill" Zimmy. I wonder if freeing enough "power cells" will force the Court to use Zimmy all up. What if Kat comes up with a system wide command? The lady or the tiger?

[Corvo]

It just hit me, in most fictional works when a minor character suddenly gets a name, it means they'll die soon. With these guys it's the opposite. I bet they'd be extra safe if they are just a few days from retirement, too.

[Gemini Jim]

Sept 20, 2024 7:21:07 GMT arf said:

Hopefully Bugsy doesn't launch into a tirade about the lack of ethics on display here...

Oh, please let Bugsy launch into a tirade about ethics in Monday's strip. That would be hilarious, and it would be the final nail in the "Bugsy doesn't get it" coffin if she puts fairy ethics or Court rules or proper protocol ahead of the situational ethics of trying to save people.

"You can't just name people willy-nilly!"

"But I just did. Meet Willy Nilly."


I don't see that happening, especially after it's been explained to her that people are dying, and people who die don't get to have a name.

Besides, this is a webcomic, albeit one that likes to launch into philosophical asides. Omega is still out there, and I can't believe she would let Annie disrupt the Court's plans by naming/ saving/ unplugging the Court's .... astrophysicists, or Star Ocean batteries, or whatever they are.

[mturtle7]

I do think that, after seeing this go on for a while, Bugsy and/or the other Foley folks might start to worry a little bit about how much they value names. It's like if somebody just dropped into your classroom and started handing out giant piles of gold to first one person, then more people, then EVERYBODY. On one hand, awesome, giant pile of gold, but on the other hand, is it *really* special anymore if everyone else has one?!

Not that that'll actually stop them in this case, given, y'know, the ongoing threat to their lives, but there might be some grumbling and/or nervous sweating here and there. We'll see, I suppose!

[setrain]

As a tabletop GM that struggles to name lots of npcs on the fly, this is my new nightmare.

[ezpak]

Tom really, really likes drawing Bugsy.

[morrahadesigns]

Sept 20, 2024 9:29:35 GMT heranje said:

I feel like I've never quite understood the fairies' culture/sense of morality beyond them being unpredictable and 'odd' (which is perhaps part of the point) but these last couple pages brought me closer to it, and it's something that aligns to the mythology around fairies. The fact that contracts/agreements made are taken very seriously and breaching them is more unacceptable than, say, killing someone while staying within the terms of the contract. Hopefully the fact that the Court have broken their promise will make it OK in their eyes for Annie to fulfil its terms by giving the kids names. Even better perhaps would be Kat naming them because there's a more solid lawyerly argument to be made for her being a representative of the Court, since Annie is after all the forest medium.

Yep, that's exactly it. Fae do NOT breach contracts....if you manage to meet the terms. They WILL try to trick you or give you terms that they know you can never meet, but if you somehow get around that they will not break their word. It's a very twisted mindset to human thinking. 

If the purple haired girl had been named and THEN drained Bugsy would likely still not care because the terms were fulfilled. 

[hp]

Now Salasmel and Clippy will show up and give them a scolding for meddling in someone else's contract

[novia]

Was the name Dobby?

[Sky Schemer]

Sept 20, 2024 17:08:42 GMT Gemini Jim said:

Omega is still out there, and I can't believe she would let Annie disrupt the Court's plans by naming/ saving/ unplugging the Court's .... astrophysicists, or Star Ocean batteries, or whatever they are.

Knowing something is happening is not the same as being able to stop it.

What, exactly, could Omega do here? If the faeries do need to stay hooked up to whatever this is for the star ocean to work, she can't exactly teleport them away in order to prevent them from being named. And Annie (and Bugsy, and presumably any of the faeries with names) can do all this in the ether, anyway, which Omega can't see. And Omega's already taken hostages, so it's not like that threat will work.

[cassini]

There is a symmetry here that I noticed.

As a result of the Forest's actions, the robots went into a static trapped state where they were being used by the court in an unseemly way. Acting on her own power for technology, Kat gave the New People bodies for their trapped minds and set them free.

As a result of the Court's actions, the former forest students are in a static trapped state where they are being used by the court in an unseemly way, (though worse because this is deadly and the robots were as Kat put it sleeping). Acting on her own power to reach into the Aether and communicate with them but act as a partial human, Annie gave them names so their bodies would be set free.

In both cases, this action flouts some previous mechanism put in place by the court's shadowy overlords- the shield, and the star ocean.