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MerchManDan wrote:Also, I expect Atsali did, in fact, find a way of controlling her own expansion without resorting to surgical tape.
I do hope she didn't have to resort to using surgical tape. Putting it on is quick and easy. Removing it later... not so much.
She would need something a lot strong than surgical tape, more like duct tape, I go ouch just thinking about it. An very long elastic ace bandage would do much better but the constriction would interfere with breathing.
The more we talk, or think, about it the only likely solution is a shape change. We know the dream triggered the siren form so it's possible calming down will return her to a more natural form. Right now her stress and panic attack are keeping her heart rate up and her body on edge, just like the dream. So calming down has to accomplish something.
Ambush questions are fun. Watching the mental impact of them as they distort, or crumble, opinions based on faulty logic.
Now that it's been established that this change occurred before the shopping trip,
the smart thing to do would be to buy clothes for each of her forms.
I think that Atsali needs a chat with Monica for both practical advice and reassurance on how to deal with going from a flat chest to "pixie with a rack" in virtually no time flat. Monica has the self-confidence that will show Atsali that while her life will be different, it will not be a bad change at all (though her future will probably involve bra ninjas)
My guess for the near future: When the flashback ends, we return to just after Castela dropped the bomb in the store. Atsali, mortified and humiliated beyond belief, will panic and lose it completely, yelling at her sister to shut the f*@# up, adding in some nasty insults and maybe even calling her a bush. She'll regret it almost immediately, of course, but by then it will be too late to unsay the words. And her outburst will definitely lead to Consequences.
Just a wild stab in the dark, of course.
I know what would happen next if this were an After School Special, but it's not, and I suspect it's going to go in directions I never anticipated. Whatever happens, I'm sure it'll be well-written, sensitive, funny as hell, and genuinely heartwarming rather than TV heartwarming.
Drakkenmensch wrote:I think that Atsali needs a chat with Monica for both practical advice and reassurance on how to deal with going from a flat chest to "pixie with a rack" in virtually no time flat. Monica has the self-confidence that will show Atsali that while her life will be different, it will not be a bad change at all (though her future will probably involve bra ninjas)
Yeah...M could help in the self esteem department and can get Atsali over to Lydia for a proper fitting (those girls are going to need some serious support) but at the same time I'm sure M didn't balloon up overnight like Atsali did.
There's the problem. There is no non-paranormal reason for a person to go that large from that flat in that short of a span of time.
Sidhekin wrote:Easiest mundane solution: New school.
The MiB just need to make sure she doesn't run into anyone from the old for a year or so ...
That's assuming that the school isn't already one for paranormals (after all she was going to one at the orphanage) and this isn't simply a matter of body image problems.
KnightDelight wrote:Clearly she did not simply bind her breasts to get back to the flat look. Whatever it was, however, it was discovered quickly. Someone got an early wake-up call. Does Phix actually have a phone? I guess they could call Monica and she could see Phix about it. Maybe there is a Siren Bra of Invisibility available for just such emergencies. It could be based on a quantum technique for stuffing excess cleavage into another dimension as needed. Or maybe they simply flatten when she calms down and stops thinking about boys in a naughty way. That may be why she didn't want to talk about it in front of the bearie-bears. That could lead to thinking about boys and another eruption of the twin peaks of Atsali. Either that or they discover siren boobs are held on by a form of biological velcro. Whatever, it should be interesting.
Another possibility is Atsali or Katherine contacted a paranormal who, while not able to change another's form, is able to use 'illusion' like powers to change Atsali's appearance back to her previous look.
Unlikely yes, even more so when to explain their help they would probably have owe Atsali (and/or Katherine) a favour, or perhaps needs to make things up to them for something done to Atsali (and/or Katherine) in the past.
Then this hypothetical paranormal with 'illusionary' abilities would probably have to be in the vicinity (somewhere in the mall), and probably within eye sight, just in case the illusion needs up-keeping.
As one of my personal mottos goes: "I believe in coincidences, but I don't automatically trust them"
As a CareBearAnarchist I believe in the destruction and overthrow of the perils of society through random and senseless acts of consideration and kindness
Growing older is compulsory, growing up is optional
Dumb things happen to smart phones
It's not end of arc yet, not by long shot. Solutions will be found.
But, yeah, I think I see Atsali's problem in the mall. She *could* be one of the girls boasting about her cleavage, and the ursamorphs' reactions -- both mimicking that behavior and then admitting they were making fun of it -- illustrated her fears of getting excessive positive *or* negative attention for it.
I agree that a chat with Monica about how to handle folks who need the "my eyes are up here" reminder could be helpful.
On the other hand, I don't think she has to worry that people will think she's wearing a padded bra. A bra stuffed with socks, maybe...
It appears that there has been an interval since last comic - long enough for Atsali to find another garment that fits over her new figure, at least.
Not even duct tape can fix stupid. But it can muffle the noise.
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Peace through superior firepower - ain't nothin' more peaceful than a dead troublemaker.
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mike weber
I'm with the folks who are skeptical about binding...unless comic physics are coming into play here. As a chesty girl who tried doing that to fit into a Halloween costume once, breasts that big don't just "flatten" out...they'd have to be able to spread across the full area of her torso to compress into the kind of flat she achieved at the mall...and there's not really enough skin for that. Not to mention the fact that there's tissue in there that isn't going to compress much if at all.
Oh well...however she managed it, it's pretty impressive. It's just sad that sirens change so quickly such that she's going to be so very self-conscious about it. I'm rather pleased by Kat's dubious acceptance of her plan to gradually introduce the rest of the world to her assets. It shows an understanding of Atsali's panic while still likely feeling that hiding her natural figure isn't the "best" answer. More proof that Kat's going to be an awesome mom IMO!
"Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful."
NOTDilbert wrote:
All kinda far-fetched, since 'it' had to happen between breakfast and time to leave for the mall - oh, well, all will be revealed in good time....
Yee GODS, I hope not!
If Atsali went with binding, One good sneeze and Ka-BOOM! But I think the 'Bear-girls' would step in and cover her until they got her a top to wear and Atsali won't have to be embarrassed 'cause she has friends.
She is not wearing tape at the mall. There was probably some awkward and further embarrassing attempts to bring it back under control that worked, then didn't, then did, then didn't, probably correlating to her rapidly changing thoughts and feelings. Hence her annoyance at meeting some beings that seem to have no trouble. I think the ursamorphs are going to offer their support and friendship because I'm guessing they went through almost the same thing...
Skruddgemire wrote:
GuySmiley wrote:]2) When Castella brought this up right before the flashback she said 'I only saw Atsali in her other form one night when she was sleeping...' which isn't the kind of thing you'd think she'd say about something that happened in the previous night.
When it comes to kids of that age...if it happened before breakfast the concept of time gets fuzzy. They know it happened in the past, but their minds aren't really registering the events with a timestamp. My kids would describe something that happened as recently as 12 hours prior as "Well...this one time I saw..." when they were roughly that age. It's not until they're a little older that they can start grasping the concept of mentally timestamping events with "last night" or "Yesterday morning".
When my boy was 5 years old he referred to everything in the past as "last weekend"...
Fairportfan wrote:It appears that there has been an interval since last comic - long enough for Atsali to find another garment that fits over her new figure, at least.
I noticed they too and was wondering where she got it from. It seem to fit too well to be something she got from Katherine since there's still a decent height difference between the two. I guess she (Atsali) could have a stock of stretchy clothing just to cover the general size difference between human form and full siren form.
"I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf mutes."
-The Laughing Man; GITS:SAC (originally from Holden Caulfield; Catcher in the Rye)
txmystic wrote:She is not wearing tape at the mall. There was probably some awkward and further embarrassing attempts to bring it back under control that worked, then didn't, then did, then didn't, probably correlating to her rapidly changing thoughts and feelings. Hence her annoyance at meeting some beings that seem to have no trouble. I think the ursamorphs are going to offer their support and friendship because I'm guessing they went through almost the same thing...
Skruddgemire wrote:
GuySmiley wrote:]2) When Castella brought this up right before the flashback she said 'I only saw Atsali in her other form one night when she was sleeping...' which isn't the kind of thing you'd think she'd say about something that happened in the previous night.
When it comes to kids of that age...if it happened before breakfast the concept of time gets fuzzy. They know it happened in the past, but their minds aren't really registering the events with a timestamp. My kids would describe something that happened as recently as 12 hours prior as "Well...this one time I saw..." when they were roughly that age. It's not until they're a little older that they can start grasping the concept of mentally timestamping events with "last night" or "Yesterday morning".
When my boy was 5 years old he referred to everything in the past as "last weekend"...
That makes sense. It didn't occur to me that kids have a limited sense of time. (I haven't dealt with little kids at all sine my sister was born so I'm not exactly an expert on the matter)
As for what happened between this and the mall, I'm assuming that's what a good chunk of the week is about. I just ask obvious questions when I'm being impatient in waiting for the answers.
"I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf mutes."
-The Laughing Man; GITS:SAC (originally from Holden Caulfield; Catcher in the Rye)
Sidhekin wrote:Easiest mundane solution: New school.
The MiB just need to make sure she doesn't run into anyone from the old for a year or so ...
That's assuming that the school isn't already one for paranormals (after all she was going to one at the orphanage) and this isn't simply a matter of body image problems.
Yeah, with Atsali assuming that the other kids at school will think she's wearing a padded bra, I kinda assume it's a mundane school.
Of course they did find a different solution, or the visit to the mall would have gone differently. I would assume that solution is anything but mundane though.
perl -e 'print "Just another Perl ${\(trickster and hacker)},";'
Whatever solution was found, it was good enough that she was in good spirits and looking forward to the trip again by morning - and no sign of June is bustin' out all over - (http://wapsisquare.com/comic/listen-good/). And per Atsali, it WAS the night before the shopping trip, so a quick call to to MIB Bustbusters was probably involved.
(Puts video collection in the Pun Jar)
"Imagination is more important than Knowledge" - Albert Einstein
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it DOES rhyme" - Mark Twain
"Always. Expect. Ninjas." - Syndey Scoville
