[3019] Zeta washing her face!?

[imaginaryfriend]

Is this a dagger Zeta backstory chapter I see before me?

Also, title page tree (plus background) in first panel? Nah but really close.

[edit] Small chapter icon looks like it'll be a chunk of the façade of one of those houses. [/edit]

[silicondream]

Called it!  Omega was right all along and Zimmy is fine.

Just fine.  Better, in fact!  Fully rehabilitated.

Don't question it.

(I kinda figured the plot would bend this way.  Zimmy-trapped-in-psychic-hell would not pose a conflict for our heroines; they'd just go rescue her and that would be that.  But Zimmy-rehabilitated poses a conflict, because, like most folks in the Court, she might be pretty happy this way.  Happier, at least, and Gamma might think that's worth protecting.)

[laaaa]

Oh man. She used to be normal (-ish). This is heartbreaking to see. She had a family, a home, pretty clothes, combed hair, clean face, visible eyeballs.

[philman]

So the debate, is this Zeta now, within the distortion? Or a flashback to the past? I am going to guess now, and she has been trapped in a world where she is ostensibly happy and pain free, but is still tarpped in a prison that looks like a normal street in order to feed off her energy somehow

[Corvo]

Truly a torment.

[Corvo]

Btw, those don't seem like clothes she'd wear when she was younger. If anything, she looks a bit older. So yeah, I'd say yes to distortion-time and no to flashback-time. But then, what do we really know about the crazy life she led before she got to her totally normal fleeing-from-bug-monsters-and-secret-organizations'-agents-while-trying-to-keep-your-girlfriendish-friend-from-dying-of-lack-of-sleep everyday.

[imaginaryfriend]

The tile-framed mirror in a carpeted bathroom's a little weird (unless that's a british thing) but there's no distortion in the sky. Too many cars for the Court. Only one toothbrush in only one cup suggests this is a bathroom used by only one person. This may or may not be Zeta currently in the distortion but I think it is Zeta's memory either way.

This reminds me, I think I remember Mr. Siddell saying at some point that Gunnerkrigg Court was originally to be a set of short stories told by a girl who lived in a tree in a forest called Gillite. I wonder if we're going to be presented with one of those over the next chapter or two... with a few modifications from changes made to the overall plot over the years, of course.

[imaginaryfriend]

Double-post for bonus points!

Nov 13, 2024 8:30:41 GMT Corvo said:

Btw, those don't seem like clothes she'd wear when she was younger. If anything, she looks a bit older. So yeah, I'd say yes to distortion-time and no to flashback-time.

I think that's a school uniform.

[arf]

Zimmyvision revealed!

It is, in all, a pretty prison.

(When do we discover it was Gemma all along?)

[bicarbonat]

Etheric rain < Neutrogena Oil Cleanser

[Geekette]

I am getting Wanda-vision vibes.

[aggadahGothic]

I cannot believe my eyes.

Certainly a school uniform, but Zimmy does appear impossibly old if this is a flashback. Given that her first appearance is in the seventh year, she would need be younger than 11 or 12 here, likely by several years unless we imagine that she enrolled at the Court immediately after suffering from Zimmychosis.

An effect of the distortion seems most reasonable. Zimmy is at its centre, after all. Given that Tom is evidently a fan of anime and manga, I might compare this to the segment of Neon Genesis Evangelion's TV ending in which Shinji Ikari imagines the idealised life he might have had in some alternate world, during the end of the real one. Perhaps Gamma will be revealed soon as her tall, aloof schoolmate. It would match this art that Tom once shared on Twitter.

[jaybird]

Nov 13, 2024 8:33:14 GMT imaginaryfriend said:

The tile-framed mirror in a carpeted bathroom's a little weird (unless that's a british thing) but there's no distortion in the sky. Too many cars for the Court. Only one toothbrush in only one cup suggests this is a bathroom used by only one person. This may or may not be Zeta currently in the distortion but I think it is Zeta's memory either way.

This reminds me, I think I remember Mr. Siddell saying at some point that Gunnerkrigg Court was originally to be a set of short stories told by a girl who lived in a tree in a forest called Gillite. I wonder if we're going to be presented with one of those over the next chapter or two... with a few modifications from changes made to the overall plot over the years, of course.

Yeah I can confirm that this decor is a slightly old fashioned British thing. My bathroom looked a lot like this when I was growing up in the early 90s. Not sure why carpet in the bathroom was such a thing but it was!

Edit to note: only slightly odd Americanism/modern bathroom feature is the mixer tap. But perhaps Tom has been stateside so long he has forgotten the English preference for either a freezing cold or scalding hot tap.

[blahzor]

She's just a small town girl

Living in a distorted world

She took a midnight train down to we're technically not moving and standing still while the world moves around is through strong etheric disruptions... Anywhere

[blahzor]

Nov 13, 2024 8:17:00 GMT silicondream said:

Called it!  Omega was right all along and Zimmy is fine.

Just fine.  Better, in fact!  Fully rehabilitated.

Don't question it.

(I kinda figured the plot would bend this way.  Zimmy-trapped-in-psychic-hell would not pose a conflict for our heroines; they'd just go rescue her and that would be that.  But Zimmy-rehabilitated poses a conflict, because, like most folks in the Court, she might be pretty happy this way.  Happier, at least, and Gamma might think that's worth protecting.)

Just your everyday OL (office lady)

I'm guessing it will be a Gamma meet cute loosely following the plot of a rom-com movie Gamma likes

[hoob]

Zimmy looks to be at least a young adult here which is odd because she doesn't visibly age throughout the comic. Gamma ages beside her while Zimmy stays the same, often wearing her Zim Grim outfit.

She's expressed frustration about having incredible etheric knowledge, sensitivity, and power, but no control over it; the distortion must lend some control over her powers enabling a healthier self concept.

Omega might be right. Self-servingly perhaps - maybe she'd be willing to end Zimmy's control if it suited her - but she's apparently bang on about Zimmy's comfort.

I think Zimmy's a languishing spirit. She's aged as much as Mort or Jeanne did in the years between their death and their passage into the ether, and is now being exploited for the court's ends.

P.S. I still think we should call her Zimmy over Zeta.

[arkadi]

Yeah, right. Zimmy looks fine right now, but it's not going to stay like this. That'd be just too easy.

[morrahadesigns]

The overall vibe feels like a flashback, but I agree on Zimmy being too old for that to be the case. Options? Maybe she's reliving a memory at her current age, or maybe the distortion has simply turned her area into the place she grew up and we're going to see how Zimmy responds to being free from etheric torment?

[morrahadesigns]

Nov 13, 2024 11:07:40 GMT hoob said:

I think Zimmy's a languishing spirit. She's aged as much as Mort or Jeanne did in the years between their death and their passage into the ether, and is now being exploited for the court's ends.

P.S. I still think we should call her Zimmy over Zeta.

Ooh, I hadn't thought of that. That's a really interesting idea. Do you think she doesn't know what she is? That seems like the sort of thing that would have been hinted at before now. 


I agree. She's Zimmy, not Zeta. 

[gpvos]

My first idea was that this was a flashback, but indeed this looks more like present comic time in the distortion, albeit in a very stable part of it since there are no double suns or moons in the sky. There is no sepia colouring or other flashback marking either.

Instead of a carpeted bathroom (which it probably is), it might be just a washbasin in a bedroom; my grandparents' house here in the Netherlands used to have no bathroom at all, only a shower cabin in the attic.

[maxptc]

A pink vanity and green flooring? The distortion is truly a hell worse then I could have imagined.

[hoob]

Nov 13, 2024 13:31:18 GMT morrahadesigns said:

Ooh, I hadn't thought of that. That's a really interesting idea. Do you think she doesn't know what she is? That seems like the sort of thing that would have been hinted at before now. 


I agree. She's Zimmy, not Zeta. 

I have no idea whether or not Zimmy knows, or if she'd even care to tell others if she did know. There's narratively coherent ways to tell either option of the story.

If you've ever blacked out while your mind is racing, your mental experience just continues on its own until you wake up, running on dream logic. It feels like a continuous experience even if your consciousness fades for a bit. Once it's pointed out it makes sense retroactively but in the moment it just feels normal.

[rabbit]

Meg has told us that in this stable distortion people "can conjure places through memory, through feeling." 

This scene might be where Zimmy wants to be - a normal day in a normal world. 

If that is true, and given what we know about Zimmy's self-loathing, I am reminded of a quote from Sam Peckinpah's Wild Bunch: "We all dream of being a child again, even the worst of us. Perhaps the worst most of all."

[storyteller]

I'm less sure about Zimmy being a languishing ghost. I could see her being what happens to languishing ghosts because of Zimmyham. But less sure of her being one.

That's basically the type of thing Annie should have realized long long ago. Or the Guides told Annie.

And it just ignores the weight Zimmy has had in the narrative. There's a reason that now when everything is going upside down that Zimmy was brought in. Because she's the heavy weight built up over the comic's run time. One that also specifically has a way to temporarily have control (Rain - which the comic has not seen in an extremely long time) and being someone that while not going out of her way to be a hero ... More often than not Zimmy is helping solve issues, and the issues she causes are due to her being hazardous to be around as opposed to malice.

Which with a Zimmyham incident due to Loup, Coyote and her ... Coyote isn't going to be the one to bring things to a safe halt, and I rather doubt Loup is either, he's just not had that characterization.Sacrifice himself to save the love of his life - sure. Not for settling thing.

There is a mess going around - and Zimmy specifically is compared to having power but no control. With the amalgamation happening she might have the control piece.

There's also this running overhang of Zimmy's warnings about Kat being ignored. Not that Kat is a bad person but the she's doing/is involved in dangerous things.

Keep an eye on her -> Kat brings the ancient robots online. Robot specifically got caught after the point of no return. Someone who believed in Angel Kat went to the ether.

So Zimmy's prophecy of Kat killing her can be twisted. But the story has built up Zimmy's fear of Kat Angel, Mecha Angel itself too much for it to not be impactful. Zimmy's concerns can be twisted, her perception warped. It can't just be shook off like a child's nightmare.

[Gemminie]

On this first page of a new chapter, there is first an establishing shot. We see a suburban street with rows of brick townhouses on either side, trees planted along the sidewalk, cars parked at the curbs, under a partly-cloudy blue sky. This is beautifully done; well done, Tom!

We then see someone washing their face; there is a running faucet visible, there are soap suds in their hands, they have long black hair, and there are black markings around their eyes. They could just be someone whose mascara has been running, but ok, 99% sure this is meant to be Zimmy. We see a more distant shot from behind, and she's in a bathroom with a mirror and washstand, towel rack, light, toothbrush holder, and whatnot. The walls and floor are green; the washstand, mirror frame, and towel rack are sort of a salmon color. Zimmy is wearing a short-sleeved white top, dark blue skirt, and black leggings. She's drying her face.

Then we see her looking at her reflection, still holding the towel. Her eyes are red and visible. There's still some residue beneath her eyes and on one cheek. Her expression is neutral, as if this is nothing unusual, but not happy.

Tom's comment, "Should have tried that before," is probably a reference to the fact that Zimmy is always shown with her eyes blacked out in some way (though Word of Tom is that that isn't how her eyes actually look), except when she gets rained on by natural rain, which soothes her ethereal stress in some way and makes her eyes visible. The Court's showers don't help in this way, and I suspect that washing her face wouldn't have worked in the past either. Anyway, it's a strong suggestion that it is Zimmy we're meant to be seeing. However, what is going on here?

We'll probably understand in upcoming pages, but right now I suspect she's in the distortion, right at the heart of it, so to speak, and things are happening how someone (who?) imagines they ideally should. Why the water works to calm Zimmy is either because it isn't Court water that's been drained of its Ether or because it's the distortion, where anything can happen. I'm more concerned that Zimmy doesn't seem angry, as that's her natural state from what we've seen. Omega's said that Zimmy isn't suffering in this distortion (despite not being able to actually see her) because of Coyote's moderating influence, but is that really what's going on here? After all, within Zimmy's psyche is a deep hatred of herself due to something terrible she did in the past, something she's never been able to move beyond or even talk about. I'm not willing to believe that any amount of Coyote-magic can just wish that away. This is either an illusion that Zimmy's presenting to herself or one that someone else is presenting to her, or so I think. I think Zimmy's suffering beneath the surface.

[Gemini Jim]

I have to admit, my first thought was "oh no, not her." She's not my favorite character.



It's hard to tell if this is a flashback, or some sort of Distortion-induced perfect world dream scenario.

It definitely doesn't fit with our expectations. Wasn't she a self-inflicted street urchin? Or is this before all of that happened? Will we see her parents?



EDIT: If I had to place a bet, I'd say it's probably the Distortion playing games with us. Either:
1) Z knows, and starts breaking things out of disgust
2) she knows, and is actually happy about it; or doesn't care
3) she doesn't know that it's all a dream and has to be brought down to Earth (by Annie and Kat or Gamma)

There could be some fun Eastern philosophical discussion about embracing illusions, etc.

[netherdan]

Oh no... Omega has her in a Sweet Dream™... That'll make things difficult

[ctso74]

If she has Gamma here, it might be good for her. I get the feeling, the story would go and mess that up for her.
Can't Zimmy have nice things? Wait, is this a nice thing?...

[blahzor]

Nov 13, 2024 11:07:40 GMT hoob said:

I think Zimmy's a languishing spirit. She's aged as much as Mort or Jeanne did in the years between their death and their passage into the ether, and is now being exploited for the court's ends.

P.S. I still think we should call her Zimmy over Zeta.

Reading to 2888 again just made me think. Sam didn't remember himself once they started to move to the light and I wonder if the court is using this feature to wipe the memories of earth for the transport to the new world

[Hatredman]

Nov 13, 2024 8:17:00 GMT silicondream said:

Called it!  Omega was right all along and Zimmy is fine.

Just fine.  Better, in fact!  Fully rehabilitated.

Don't question it.

(I kinda figured the plot would bend this way.  Zimmy-trapped-in-psychic-hell would not pose a conflict for our heroines; they'd just go rescue her and that would be that.  But Zimmy-rehabilitated poses a conflict, because, like most folks in the Court, she might be pretty happy this way.  Happier, at least, and Gamma might think that's worth protecting.)

I don't think this is Zimmy-in-the-distortion, I think it's Zimmy-in-the-past.


Either way, we're gonna see what she did to her parents.