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zachariah wrote:For address her other concerns. Unless there is more to this talk she has not addressed any of Sali's concerns. So that is a F. Nothing about how to cope with the change and how Sali feels about it. Being told just remember your Aunt will crush them all if you ask is not a bit of good advice. Sali really needs to see that this is not the end of the world for her. She is focused on how the other kids will react and being a Siren. Her self image and confidence in them is what needs to be improved. Monica can do this but she isn't.
Once again, zachariah, I must respectfully disagree with you.
"You are beautiful. Not by how you look, but by who you are. You are grounded and smart! You just keep being you..."
That sure sounds to me as if Monica is trying to very directly boost up Atsali's self-image, by reminding her of her true value and worth! She's leading Atsali to focus on something other than her fears of how people will react to, and judge her... and thus helping Atsali break out of the cycle of anticipatory self-condemnation.
This is probably much more effective, than asking Atsali to talk at length about just how she expects people are going to judge her because of her appearance and Siren heritage. Doing that, could just drive Atsali further into the blues. Focusing on your fears, is not necessarily a good way to move beyond your fears.
For somebody who isn't terribly fond of therapists and counselors, Monica really does have the skill and knowledge to use many of their more effective techniques.
While you are right Monica does say that it is just words as long as Sali is down about this. Monica should have asked okay then what is really bothering you? Why does their reaction make you feel so bad? Does it matter that much?
There is a lot more going on in Sali and it has to revolve around being a Siren. Their reputation, perceived image in the para community, worries she will be forced to fit that image, etc. Unless these issues are touched on then Monica is only mouthing palliative words that Sali is not ready to believe. That is why I also stated the mark applies if this talk ends here. If it doesn't then these issues should come out and be talked on.
If it ends here then Monica came in showed her how to pick a bra. Patted Sali on the head saying you are wonderful. Then poiting away. Offering to nuke the school is a whole other issue. lol.
An aunt that can flatten the school. It's probably a good thing I couldn't do that when I was a kid. So Cal would have been short one school. While I agree Astali needs to tell Monica about the siren specific issues in the Paranormal community due to safety concerns and for her own piece of mind, ultimately the last speech bubble is the only thing Monica can do for her. Monica can repeat that short pep talk periodically, but ultimately Astali will need to become mentally strong and stubborn enough to not let society push her around. Will it be easy? Not a chance. She has an ugly road ahead of her and she will have to do most of the work.
That's not to say her aunts won't need to disassemble a few people who are particularly dense.
Dave wrote:This is probably much more effective, than asking Atsali to talk at length about just how she expects people are going to judge her because of her appearance and Siren heritage. Doing that, could just drive Atsali further into the blues. Focusing on your fears, is not necessarily a good way to move beyond your fears.
Not to mention that when facing a situation like that, if you can get them to crack a smile or to chuckle at the situation, you've made a huge milestone in getting to the problem and beyond. You've made them look at the absurdity of it all and they see it.
That's a wonderful beginning step.
And Zachariah judging Monica's therapeutic techniques now is sort of pointless. It would be like complaining about a real-world counselor for not cracking someone's problems in the first 10 minutes of the session. This could take many panels to work through to everyone's satisfaction. I'm sure that M was looking at the situation in logical order. Step one being taking care of the immediate problem. Get her fitted with a decent bra is something that M knows like the tops of her boobs. Doing that is something that she *knows* she can take charge of and show Atsali that she knows her stuff and can be talked to in a frank and non-judgmental fashion. Putting her at ease. Once you've hit the stage where you can talk to someone frankly about your breasts...it's easier to talk about other things.
Which should be the next step for M. Fix the girls, break the ice, start digging.
If at the end of this Atsali isn't feeling any better...*then* that's a fail on M's part.
I doubt that a bra-fitting is going to be the end of Monica's talks with Atsali. And, as has been pointed out, there has been off-screen time for them to mention many other concerns Sali might have, we just have not seen them mentioned here.
I also think that Sali is probably going to a school for paranormals, so a sudden change in her appearance would not be quite as shocking as in a human school.
No trees were harmed in sending this message, however, a large number of electrons were seriously inconvenienced
Dave wrote:And, yeah, having an aunt (or two) who can flatten whole schools is a point, too. Even if she never feels it necessary to call in that particular favor, knowing that she could may help her deal with the occasional (and probably inevitable) hasslings.
Monica: Atsali! What is Good?
Atsali: To Crush your School, to Drive them before you, and hear the Lamentations of those Jealous little Bitches! Muwhahahahah!
---
Ditto on the Looking Down at Them part. As a guy, I can appreciate that in the way I gradually gained weight. Ok, I had a tummy. Then one day I was buying some jeans (a bit larger than last time, darn it) and the fitting room had a full length mirror it in. And I turned --> Sideways <--
Diet started promptly.
Don't let other peoples limitations become your constraints!
And Zachariah judging Monica's therapeutic techniques now is sort of pointless. It would be like complaining about a real-world counselor for not cracking someone's problems in the first 10 minutes of the session. This could take many panels to work through to everyone's satisfaction. I'm sure that M was looking at the situation in logical order. Step one being taking care of the immediate problem. Get her fitted with a decent bra is something that M knows like the tops of her boobs. Doing that is something that she *knows* she can take charge of and show Atsali that she knows her stuff and can be talked to in a frank and non-judgmental fashion. Putting her at ease. Once you've hit the stage where you can talk to someone frankly about your breasts...it's easier to talk about other things.
Which should be the next step for M. Fix the girls, break the ice, start digging.
If at the end of this Atsali isn't feeling any better...*then* that's a fail on M's part.
We all do it all the time. You've read some of the philosophical rambling we all have written here. About the characters, places, events, heck even what language is being spoke in the language , in English, or both at once. Why shouldn't we comment on it. I even allowed that there could be more coming. So this is not pointless. For those of us on the forum it is FUN. We can state any silly idea and theory we want. I know as I've put some fairly strange ones out myself.
Ambush questions are fun. Watching the mental impact of them as they distort, or crumble, opinions based on faulty logic.
Opus the Poet wrote:OK am I reading the comic right, because it looks very much like Monica is saying Atsali is wearing a 34L which IIRC is 2 or 3 cup sizes larger than Monica.
But several inches larger in the band, too. Which means in proportion that it's smaller than an "L" would be on Monica, whose band size is like twenty-eight inches, i think.
I mean, if you put Dolly Parton's boobs on, say, Bea Arthur, they wouldn't look quite as big.
Oh great... now I need a case of mental floss to get that image out of my head. Dolly Parton's boobs on Bea Arthur? Good God, she'd be tripping on them at her age!!!
That do bring up an good example for Moni to use: Dolly. That is a woman who knows how to be comfortable with her bounty. Some women can wear certain fabrics, some can wear certain colors, and some can wear certain body parts. Atsali, like Monica and Dolly, looks like she can wear her breasts like a boss!
While it's true that M really can't know what it's like to literally pubertize overnight, one must consider that Sirens might not be the only ones with that quick a jump on the Wonder Years. With as many polymorphic Mythics as there may be out there in the Wapsiverse, imagine how many teens (female and male) are altering their attributes artificially by natural shapeshifting? Too much too early can be as scary as too little too long.
In a few years, we'll all be fretting over when Castela gets her own prickly pair.
(drops a bag of Purina Whatsit Chow Fudge Flavor into the Pun Receptacle)
First of all, would Dolly Parton even be a valid reference for Atsali? Dolly was a 1960s country music star who branched out in the 80s into other media for a while. IIRC she hasn't made any records of movies either one since the turn of the century.
Also mentioning Dolly reminds me of a Mel Tillis joke he used to tell at concerts (you could tell the joke was coming because Mel would stop stuttering): "Oh look, I see Dolly Parton in the audience." Murmurs and looking around for several seconds. "Opps, sorry, it was just two bald guys sitting together!"
I ride my bike to ride my bike, and sometimes it takes me where I need to go.
I want an aunt who can flatten a school....that would be pretty damn awesome.
Ye Gods! I just realized how many cup sizes larger than me Atsali is. I'm not sure I could handle having that rack either. I'd have immediately signed up for a reduction just to make shopping easier (not to mention improving the longevity of my spine's health). I'm all for being proud of who and what you are...and loving the body you were born with...but there comes a point where it's actually better to take it down a few notches. Heck, I've been considering the possibility for a reduction for myself since I was 20 (for back pain reasons, though I won't even consider it until I've finished the whole "having kids" thing)...and I'm at least in a size that almost every specialty shop would carry. I can't say I've seen L's available at the stores where I shop.
Disclaimer: I'm definitely not in favor of Atsali getting a reduction at this point since she's too young. Additionally, if she were to get a reduction, I'd hope she wouldn't go down to a C cup or something that drastic. I'm just saying that at a certain point, mega-jugs could be more of a burden than being able to claim you love your body is worth.
"Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful."
Is anyone else thinking that "well grounded individual" (paraphrasing but that's what Monica meant I think) is a bit of an odd compliment to give to someone who can fly? I wonder if the ability to fly (and double in height/size) will come up at all.
"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)
Opus the Poet wrote:First of all, would Dolly Parton even be a valid reference for Atsali? Dolly was a 1960s country music star who branched out in the 80s into other media for a while. IIRC she hasn't made any records of movies either one since the turn of the century.
"Turn of the Century"
Wow.
I don't know whether that makes me feel old or modern!
Don't let other peoples limitations become your constraints!
My wife's best friend is five feet tall and had reduction surgery before I met her due to chronic back pain. She still has attractively large breasts so I can only imagine the burden she bore before she had the procedure.
Beyond the bra logistics, however, I cannot blame Sali for being self conscious. Thinking back over my experience in high school, I recall the girls with larger breasts were almost always considered less intelligent and more likely to be sexually active in general. I never thought it was fair and confronted people about it. This is actually one reason I was kind of an outcast. Geddy Lee was right: conform or be cast out...
Julie wrote:
Ye Gods! I just realized how many cup sizes larger than me Atsali is. I'm not sure I could handle having that rack either. I'd have immediately signed up for a reduction just to make shopping easier (not to mention improving the longevity of my spine's health). I'm all for being proud of who and what you are...and loving the body you were born with...
I think we need to remember just who/what Atsali is. As a siren, she may just be typical in size. While she may want to fit in with human society, we need to remember that she also has to fit in with the paranormals. A siren with a smaller set of breasts might be ostracized for "flatchestedness".
Also as a siren, her physiology is adapted to her breast size and may even require it.
Just something to consider.
What happens in the lab needs to stay in the lab... because it's such a bloody drag to have to rebuild civilization all over again.
Atsail has it slightly wrong. Noone will call her stupid. However, she will cause certain people to BECOME stupid. Any male in he own age group, within 100 yards, will become a drooling idiot.
Opus the Poet wrote:First of all, would Dolly Parton even be a valid reference for Atsali? Dolly was a 1960s country music star who branched out in the 80s into other media for a while. IIRC she hasn't made any records of movies either one since the turn of the century.
"Turn of the Century"
Wow.
I don't know whether that makes me feel old or modern!
OLD
"Imagination is more important than Knowledge" - Albert Einstein
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it DOES rhyme" - Mark Twain
"Always. Expect. Ninjas." - Syndey Scoville
Atomsk wrote:Atsail has it slightly wrong. Noone will call her stupid. However, she will cause certain people to BECOME stupid. Any male in he own age group, within 100 yards, will become a drooling idiot.
Older ages would be affected as well as some females I would think.
This message is brought to you by the "Let the artist know how much you LOVE his work" council.
Opus the Poet wrote:OK am I reading the comic right, because it looks very much like Monica is saying Atsali is wearing a 34L which IIRC is 2 or 3 cup sizes larger than Monica.
But several inches larger in the band, too. Which means in proportion that it's smaller than an "L" would be on Monica, whose band size is like twenty-eight inches, i think.
I mean, if you put Dolly Parton's boobs on, say, Bea Arthur, they wouldn't look quite as big.
Oh great... now I need a case of mental floss to get that image out of my head. Dolly Parton's boobs on Bea Arthur? Good God, she'd be tripping on them at her age!!!
No, she'd be lying quietly on her back with them sitting on her chest. She died four years ago.
That said, she was a Definite Babe in her day...
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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 not sure I could handle having that rack either. I'd have immediately signed up for a reduction just to make shopping easier (not to mention improving the longevity of my spine's health). I'm all for being proud of who and what you are...and loving the body you were born with...but there comes a point where it's actually better to take it down a few notches. Heck, I've been considering the possibility for a reduction for myself since I was 20 (for back pain reasons, though I won't even consider it until I've finished the whole "having kids" thing)...and I'm at least in a size that almost every specialty shop would carry. I can't say I've seen L's available at the stores where I shop.
I wonder if the ability to fly (and double in height/size) will come up at all.
