Smiling At Me 2014-07-22

[Aed]

She's smiling at you. Run!

[AnotherFairportfan]

The birdbrain sees right through the problem...

[cmdrpowers]

The birdbrain sees right through the problem...

Y'know, Atsali is one of the most fantastic, fully realized characters that Paul has ever created? I love that girl!

[Dave]

She's smiling because she sees somebody who's growing up, and becoming a pretty neat and caring adult, Atsali.

[kingklash]

Under other circumstances, Monica would have said pretty much the same things Atsali is saying now.

[Opus the Poet]

"Why are you smiling at me?"

She's giving you a head start, run Atsali!

[shadowinthelight]

Does Shelly's "Sage of the Forest" title cover the whole area of the forest? If not, our little birdy could at least be the "Sage of the Canopy".

[ChattaStarhawk]

Have a cookie, Atsali!

[Dave]

Another thing to stay tuned for: the story of just how the Fae are different from other paranormals, such that Cricket could harm others without really meaning to.

Perhaps their dangerous magic is tightly intertwined with their emotions, and can act without conscious volition? Calista could hurt someone, as a direct effect of just becoming angry or resentful? That might account for some of the reputation the Fae have, for having nasty tempers and cruel senses of humor... it could be their unconscious sides "acting out" with no pro-social filtering.

Calista Foxglove, as the bearer of a sort of Incredible Hult penumbra. You wouldn't like her when she's angry. Flower-glower power.

[My2Cents]

Monica is smiling because Atsali just volunteered for the job that she was worried about how to talking her into.

People do act out when they have friends until the negative feedback where they learn if you act out you may lose your friends kicks in. But first you have to have friends to lose. Hope the bear girls also become friends, that way they can come and while Atsali stays to explain what Calista did wrong and has to make up for, until Calista starts thinking before acting.

The Fae problem may be that at their power level thinking about doing something and do it are nearly the same thing. For Calista control her power may as easy as for a human to mastering their Ki, years of concentrated study are required.

[AnotherFairportfan]

If it's like the Fae in our universe's stories, they have no souls, thus no true moral sense.

[TazManiac]

See?, No Psyco-Reverso hoo-doo for 'Auntie M' (heh, Auntie M).

For Atsali it's all "Horse? Check out this water...".

-

PS- i like how Cricket's leg warmers make her limbs seem super thick and strong. Goes along w/ lots o' power in a mighty small package, etc.

[txmystic]

Pot? meet Kettle...

[Mark N]

I think we may have just learned how alike Monica and a Fae are. Monica's powers have an auto pilot that she has had to learn to control (not everyone is like Nudge and have a worse fear that they can survive). And Atsali may have similar faculties that we have yet to learn about (These things may be a major part of what she was afraid of being a Siren). If Paul's Facebook look at 10 years in Atsali's future are cannon then we are looking at a major turning point for her as well.

[KnightDelight]

Poor naive birdie. Apparently Atsali still thinks kindness cures all. Clearly she did not take away a certain important point from the Nu Gui affair ... some beings can't be fixed. They just have to be bottled up or otherwise contained. And so it could turn out to be with the Princess here. She was kept in the "suite" for a reason. Her fear of being cast into Tartarus is probably very real. I wonder though, would the Fae allow such a thing to happen to their princess? I mean who would do it? And would she have an enormous fight on her hands as Fae come out of the woodwork to prevent it? Wrangling one Fae might be reasonably doable for JG, but an army of them?

All in all, I suppose, it will turn out to be a battle of nature vs nurture in the contest for the fate of Princess Calista. As always, it will be interesting to watch Paul's take on the Fae. His POV on paranormal creatures is like no other. Maybe someone can cobble up a companion for Cricket (like was done for Shellinx) to be her conscience. Though that one has, at it's core, Tina's soul so such a thing comes at a price. Who knows, maybe Connie will figure Shelly doesn't really need her anymore (as Shelly proved by defeating and devouring a challenger) and move in with Cricket to become her Jiminy. Connie, after all, may not be as fond of Apo-ess tar-tar as Phix is, or all the blood letting in it's preparation. As Jiminy Cricket said in Pinocchio: "Shhh! Quiet! Let's get out of here before something else happens."

[ShirouZhiwu]

I am reminded of another story where a young Fae girl's periods would cause thunderstorms in the halls. Or the tellings of Powerful and destructive mental abilities for Vulcans when they don't adhere to logic. It definitely sounds like her powers are, in part, hard wired to her emotions, and thus without a firm grip on them, she can go off.

[Sphinx-Napped]

hey bird brain you just volunteered tio keep and eye out and make her feel she has meaning to you and everyone... guess what birdbrain you her probation officer hah try and make sure she keep her appointments to Monica

[Sphinx-Napped]

I am reminded of another story where a young Fae girl's periods would cause thunderstorms in the halls. Or the tellings of Powerful and destructive mental abilities for Vulcans when they don't adhere to logic. It definitely sounds like her powers are, in part, hard wired to her emotions, and thus without a firm grip on them, she can go off.

tick....tock......tick...........tock...

[kingklash]

It would not be the first time a powerful family/clan/organization kept the potential heir ensconced from the world at large "for their own protection." Unless they get a really, really, really good education while locked away, the people skills will be sorely lacking. Also, the "privileged kid learns to interact with the regular kind" plot is out there to use.

Cricket has the drive to be the best clan leader ever, but she needs guidance to hone her abilities, and find out how to not squish those not as powerful as her. So, some of Monica's lessons might involve Shelly, who has been learning that lesson as well.

If the previews we got of Princess Punch are any indication, she might appreciate some attention from lingerie ninjas herself.

[DilyV]

Are we sure she's only what, 16? She's a sage young woman, but then, I guess having an entire insane civilization filter through your mind will do that to you... Atsali has seen horrible things that she has no intention of seeing happen to others if she has anything to say about it. I imagine Monica is smiling because she's thinking, "I wanna be like you when I grow up, Atsali." Heck, Monica just wants to "grow" up!!!

From that expression, Monica definitely sees something she likes in Atsali...