Phix and Shelly
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:30 am
With Monica's recent second full resurrection and her apparent full transformation/metamorphosis into Jaguar Girl, I went back to the comic that got the current story arc rolling. The reveal of Shelly's true lineage, Monica's fear of Phix after witnessing her feral side and M being forced to confront and acccept her true nature kicked off here. http://wapsisquare.com/comic/lickable/
On the read through, something struck me as odd. Phix's reaction to Shelly's anger seemed a bit out of character considering how she reacted to everyone else who confronted her. Bia got tightly contained fury and a rapid eviction from the library via Sphinx fist. Meadea was killed and subsequently eaten when she gave Phix some lip. Phix pursued Nudge through the Bibliothiki and looked like she had every intention of causing Nudge grevious bodily harm until the Head Librarian snapped out of her rage with the realization that her Trickster pal couldn't fly. And what was Phix's reaction to Shelly's anger and threatening posture?
She fliches away from her and cries.
There are two possibilities for her reaction. The first is fairly obvious. While Shelly didn't know the Truth about her own heritage, Phix did. Phix's comment to Bia that "You may be a Titan, but you're on my turf now," implys that Titans are more powerful than Sphinxes. Shelly told Monica right after coming back from the Time Forrest that a Sphinx was invincible in the place she gaurds, except to other Sphinxes. And Shelly is both Titan and Sphinx. Phixes reaction might have been one of fear, but I think it's more complicated than that.
Shelly told Justin that Phix was a Mentor and mother figure to her during her stay in the time forrest, and Shelly's reaction to finding out she was still being manipulated "like a f**king pawn" was one of a child raging at a parent who had betrayed her, but in my opinion, Phix's reaction isn't that of a parent or mentor. It's the reaction of a child being scolded by a parent or mentor.
And I think the Time Forrest is to blame. (Warning; temporal confusion ahead)
Okay, This all begins, from Shelly's perspective, when she takes hold of the incomplete Viama Cell and is transported into the Time Forrest. She then begins moving in reverse time to the rest of the universe. CLG protects her from the Apotropaic Sphinxes who otherwise would have killed her. She starts meeting alternate versions of herself and at some point transforms into her "true" Sphinx form. She meets Phix who teaches her what she needs to know about being a Sphinx and teaches her just about everything else about what is going on. Shelly One enters the Forrest, completes the Viama Cell and dies, and Shelly returns instanly to the moment she left, fast enough that Bud, who has super human senses and reflexes, never sees her leave. After this, Shelly regards Phix as a mentor and surrogate mother.
From Phixes perspective, things would have been very different. From the perspective of everyone outside the Time Forrest, Shelly, or rather, The Sage of the Forrest, would have simply appeared. And this wouldn't have been a confused human Shelly either. This would have been the feral being that Shelly became, a half Sphinx, half Titan who likely was unassailable on her of turf, even without her Companion. This would have been the Sphinx a much younger Phix would have met for the first time. Shelly would be at the end of her stay in the Time Forrest, and Phix would be eighty thousand years younger. Most of what Phix would teach Shelly in the begining of her stay in the Forrest, Shelly would have first taught Phix as she traveled forward in normal time.
From Phix's perspective, Shelly is the mentor and mother figure. It's why she didn't tell Shelly she is a Titan and immortal. Shelly's wish was to return to a "normal" human life. Phix was desperate to give her what she wanted, she was a child trying to please a parent. Shelly's anger made Phix cry like a child being scolded by her mother. And Phix's current snit is that of a child raging against the injustice of a parent who dosen't appreciate what the child has done for her.
Of course, as always, I could be completely wrong.
On the read through, something struck me as odd. Phix's reaction to Shelly's anger seemed a bit out of character considering how she reacted to everyone else who confronted her. Bia got tightly contained fury and a rapid eviction from the library via Sphinx fist. Meadea was killed and subsequently eaten when she gave Phix some lip. Phix pursued Nudge through the Bibliothiki and looked like she had every intention of causing Nudge grevious bodily harm until the Head Librarian snapped out of her rage with the realization that her Trickster pal couldn't fly. And what was Phix's reaction to Shelly's anger and threatening posture?
She fliches away from her and cries.
There are two possibilities for her reaction. The first is fairly obvious. While Shelly didn't know the Truth about her own heritage, Phix did. Phix's comment to Bia that "You may be a Titan, but you're on my turf now," implys that Titans are more powerful than Sphinxes. Shelly told Monica right after coming back from the Time Forrest that a Sphinx was invincible in the place she gaurds, except to other Sphinxes. And Shelly is both Titan and Sphinx. Phixes reaction might have been one of fear, but I think it's more complicated than that.
Shelly told Justin that Phix was a Mentor and mother figure to her during her stay in the time forrest, and Shelly's reaction to finding out she was still being manipulated "like a f**king pawn" was one of a child raging at a parent who had betrayed her, but in my opinion, Phix's reaction isn't that of a parent or mentor. It's the reaction of a child being scolded by a parent or mentor.
And I think the Time Forrest is to blame. (Warning; temporal confusion ahead)
Okay, This all begins, from Shelly's perspective, when she takes hold of the incomplete Viama Cell and is transported into the Time Forrest. She then begins moving in reverse time to the rest of the universe. CLG protects her from the Apotropaic Sphinxes who otherwise would have killed her. She starts meeting alternate versions of herself and at some point transforms into her "true" Sphinx form. She meets Phix who teaches her what she needs to know about being a Sphinx and teaches her just about everything else about what is going on. Shelly One enters the Forrest, completes the Viama Cell and dies, and Shelly returns instanly to the moment she left, fast enough that Bud, who has super human senses and reflexes, never sees her leave. After this, Shelly regards Phix as a mentor and surrogate mother.
From Phixes perspective, things would have been very different. From the perspective of everyone outside the Time Forrest, Shelly, or rather, The Sage of the Forrest, would have simply appeared. And this wouldn't have been a confused human Shelly either. This would have been the feral being that Shelly became, a half Sphinx, half Titan who likely was unassailable on her of turf, even without her Companion. This would have been the Sphinx a much younger Phix would have met for the first time. Shelly would be at the end of her stay in the Time Forrest, and Phix would be eighty thousand years younger. Most of what Phix would teach Shelly in the begining of her stay in the Forrest, Shelly would have first taught Phix as she traveled forward in normal time.
From Phix's perspective, Shelly is the mentor and mother figure. It's why she didn't tell Shelly she is a Titan and immortal. Shelly's wish was to return to a "normal" human life. Phix was desperate to give her what she wanted, she was a child trying to please a parent. Shelly's anger made Phix cry like a child being scolded by her mother. And Phix's current snit is that of a child raging against the injustice of a parent who dosen't appreciate what the child has done for her.
Of course, as always, I could be completely wrong.