Behind You 2014-07-10

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Catawampus
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by Catawampus »

shadowinthelight wrote:That entrance should make an impression.
And Calista's head might make an impression in the floor after she falls over backwards.
jeffepp wrote:I fully expect M to be laughing her heart out over this.
Better than the last time she had her heart out, I suppose.
illiad wrote:worse, will we just have a bit of 'art' on friday?? :o :( :( :(
Maybe a cut to later that evening at the Gilchrist household, with Atsali being called to dinner and replying, "Hold on a sec, Mom, I want to get online and look up the meaning of this new word I heard today. . .".
Aleister Crow wrote:But gone are the days when a fae could just swap its child with some peasant farmers' and trick them into raising it (never was clear on what the fae did with the human child).
Depended on the mythology and on the reason for stealing the kid. Sometimes the human child would be raised as one of the faeries, sometimes it would be raised by them and kept as a servant or as breeding stock, sometimes it would be given to the Devil as a sort of tax payment. There were all sorts of possibilities. And some of the faerie parents were quite good parents, while others were. . .not.

And now that I think on it, one of the methods for determining if "your" baby is really yours or is actually a changeling is to force some foxglove down its throat. I wonder how Calista feels about that.
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MerchManDan
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by MerchManDan »

Prester Fred wrote:Of course, this might not be Monica; it might be one of Da Bears. Seems a little mean for either of them, but it's possible.
I strongly doubt this is one of the Cubs, since (a) neither of them have any reason to do this, (b) their transformation powers only affect themselves & their clothing (so far as we know, there's no light show), (c) so far as we know, neither of them have met the Jaguar Girl, and (d) both of them are standing in front of Cricket.
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jwhouk
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by jwhouk »

Uh oh.

From WP: "Another, related belief was the fairies were demons entirely."

:shock:

She's in for a double-dose: "Hi. I'm Monica Villareal. I am not only the Jaguar Girl, but I am THE Demon Shepherd. Don't try that gossamer thing with me, or I'll sic my barista on you. ¿Entiendes?"
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TheCollector
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by TheCollector »

Ok, is the color here a special thing for this one comic, or is the comic going color? I figure I'd ask so I don't get my hopes up for something that may not be happening.
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AnotherFairportfan
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by AnotherFairportfan »

TheCollector wrote:Ok, is the color here a special thing for this one comic, or is the comic going color? I figure I'd ask so I don't get my hopes up for something that may not be happening.
Paul has a tendency to use colour to make a particularly spectacular point.
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Boxilar
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by Boxilar »

Whoa.

Lots to process here.

First off, since the cafeteria background is gone, I'm going to go with the general consensus that ten foot tall ON FIRE with stars in her hands Monica is something only Cricket is seeing, especially since we know Monica can pull people's souls into her realm.

I'd be willing to bet that all Atsali and Da Bear twins are seeing is Monica staring at Callista with an intense expression.

It also answers a few things. Monica knew about this before hand, if not all the details. She sort of knew what she was getting into.

Cricket, on the other hand, took the "Under the guidance of the Jaguar Girl" as the easy "stay out of jail" option, the way some addicts will take the rehab option to avoid jail time, thinking it will be the easier of the two. She apparently thought Monica would be a pushover, or that the threat of the Jaguar Girl was a lame attempt at scaring her straight. Given Monica's personal history that not even her closest friends know about, she's not likely to go easy on Callista. Before this is over, Cricket may wish she had gone with the "locked in Tartarus" option.

Also, it gives us an idea of how the rest of the supernatural community views Monica's true power. Berdine warned Atsali to steer clear of Callista because they're "like, only slightly less dangerous than elementals".

Shelly, as a half Titan Sphinx, refused to get to between Connie and Bia when Monica suggested Shelly do something about the beat down the Companion was giving the Titan of Force. Bud has called Conscience an elemental and the Sphinxes in the Time Forrest were terrified of her. The reason given was that she was something they had never seen before, but it was also likely that she could wipe the floor with any of them, and they likely knew it. Shelly's ideas about her stay there were informed by Phix, who neglected to tell her that she was Shelly's grandmother and that Shelly was part Titan and was effectively immortal, so it's not outside the possibility that Phix didn't tell her the Appos were terrified of Connie, not because they didn't know what she was, but because they knew Connie would kill them if they tried to hurt Shelly.

And Monica has effectively been given the task of riding herd on a critter only slightly less powerful than that. So, given the fact that everyone around her has been telling her that she's at the Apex, even before her full transformation, that puts Monica squarely at the top of the heap somewhere above even the Sphinxes and Titans. Phix is able to scold her and treat her as pupil for the same reason a 300 lb linebacker does what his 5'4" 120 lb mother tells him to. She's effectively a surrogate mother. That, and the fact that Phix is invulnerable to anyone but other Sphinxes in her place of power. Monica's denial of her true position in the supernatural power structure up till now likely is equal parts lack of exposure to anyone significantly less powerful than herself, and Dunning-Kruger effect.

As a side note, Monica's lack of exposure to anyone but the top supernaturals and her own recent elevation to power are the reason she doesn't have a problem with beings further down the power scale, and doesn't see anything wrong in including a couple of vampires, the supernatural world's "shitty mosquitoes", on a beach junket. Her newcomer's perspective is also what finally made Phix see that everyone has a place, regardless of their personal power.

And again, given her personal history, Monica is not going to view Cricket kindly. And I think the only reason Cricket was even given the option was because she used Gossamer duplicates. If she had actually compelled them to fulfill her revenge fantasy, either she'd be bound in Tartarus, or the Jaguar Girl would have dispensed Justice in the only way supernatural creatures with that kind of power understand. The only reason she's still alive and/or at large is because she didn't actually go through with it for real, meaning that there is someone worth saving there. She's going to have a tough time proving that to Monica, though.

Heart of a lion, mind of a sociopath, and all that.
AnotherFairportfan wrote:
TheCollector wrote:Ok, is the color here a special thing for this one comic, or is the comic going color? I figure I'd ask so I don't get my hopes up for something that may not be happening.
Paul has a tendency to use colour to make a particularly spectacular point.
Yup, Paul goes to color to make an emotional impact and when something huge is going on in the comic.

This is obviously one of those times.

Sorry for rambling, but a lot of things came together in my head with the last couple of comics, and I wanted to share.
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displaced
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by displaced »

would someone tell me how Monica knew to appear right now? I'm betting that Atsala didn't have time to call Monica unless she used an emergency beacon of some sort. I don't think this would rate her using it to call M either. This is something else, If M is there because of Cricket's confession, then she heard Cricket make it. This does not look good for Cricket, but on the other hand, Cricket was smart enough NOT to actually hurt anyone so Monica may be angry but she may also be understanding since she's done similar things herself.
Sorry it took so long to find this.
http://wapsisquare.com/comic/confession-to-a-shadow/
Last edited by displaced on Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Yamara
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by Yamara »

The "Look behind you" balloon means the others can see Monica. There's a possibility that Cricket is projecting a gossamer of what she imagines the Jaguar Girl to look like, in a last throw for sympathy for her plight. I don't see that working for her, at all, but she might be ADD/short-sighted enough to try it.
Boxilar wrote:And Monica has effectively been given the task of riding herd on a critter only slightly less powerful than that. So, given the fact that everyone around her has been telling her that she's at the Apex, even before her full transformation, that puts Monica squarely at the top of the heap somewhere above even the Sphinxes and Titans.
The Library defined her as a "sub-Titan"... but Tsillah said that that category only shows up once in a million years. And Georgette's lead demon declared that M was the only Jaguar Girl in this universe, and then couldn't quite recognize what M was at all. "As far as I'm concerned right now, I don't have a jurisdiction."

I suspect she is unique. Not the strongest or smartest being of all, but she may have the most capacity of any in the vicinity of Earth. We haven't even seen her visiting with the shades of the dead yet, and she's supposed to be learning something like that from Tsillah. In any case, I'd guess most of the paranormal world knows full well she can read your deepest fear, and if she likes, teleport you into it. And she can't be killed.

Now we know Mon is a cuddlemuffin. But really, if you're a stranger, that's all you need to know to stay far away from her, or at the very least on her good side. Cricket can expect neither.


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Aed
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by Aed »

Boxilar wrote:Whoa.

Lots to process here.

First off, since the cafeteria background is gone, I'm going to go with the general consensus that ten foot tall ON FIRE with stars in her hands Monica is something only Cricket is seeing, especially since we know Monica can pull people's souls into her realm.

I'd be willing to bet that all Atsali and Da Bear twins are seeing is Monica staring at Callista with an intense expression.
I agree. For those who have not read the earlier story arcs, or perhaps haven't read them recently and may be a bit fuzzy here are a few good things to review.

Monica can sense another entity's greatest fear. We learned about that in the story arc that begins with "This Problem" and ends at "Together". Monica's ability to sense another's greatest fear is revealed in "Confession To A Shadow".

Monica is also able to enter another person's 'quantum space' or bring them into one of her own making. We learned about those two abilities in the story arc that starts at "On Purpose" and ends at "Moonlight". The page "Come And Go" reveals Monica's ability to enter another's personal 'quantum space' and the page 'Get This Sorted' et al, is where we see Monica bring another into a 'quantum space' of her own.

As you can see from the previously referenced story arcs, Paul uses the background art to indicate a change of location and the use of color to emphasis a particular event.

Now back to today's page. The first panel's background shows that everything is still in the school cafeteria. Panel two's background shows no sign of the school cafeteria. It's in color --- hang on to your hats the ride is about to get wild!
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jwhouk
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by jwhouk »

In the few minutes before Pablo makes us all look silly:

I believe Monica was called in to the school after news of the fight in the hallway came about. "Oh, and apparently Atsali Gilchrist was talking to the girl after the fight."

Or she might have been in Kath's office when Mom got the call. "Oh, it's that Fae that Bud (Phix/Tsillah) told me about. I'll take care of it, Kath."

And, as we saw with Georgette, Monica's capable of "transporting" people to the "Jaguar Girl" world - very easily.

EDIT: And yes, AED, we learned a LOT about Monica in the whole "Nudge Takes A Bath" and "Georgette's Demons" arcs.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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jwhouk
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by jwhouk »

Okay, one last thing:

After looking at this comic, hit the "First" button.

Then try to tell someone else that the girl on the left in the first comic is the same gal as the one in the last comic.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Atomic
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by Atomic »

jwhouk wrote:Okay, one last thing:

After looking at this comic, hit the "First" button.

Then try to tell someone else that the girl on the left in the first comic is the same gal as the one in the last comic.
People grow!
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scantrontb
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by scantrontb »

Atomic wrote:People grow!
Nah, it's just camera angles. :D
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Opus the Poet
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by Opus the Poet »

Simple question, do you look the same today as you did in 2001? I know I don't. My physical appearance changed drastically not even counting the changes caused by the wreck,
I ride my bike to ride my bike, and sometimes it takes me where I need to go.
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TazManiac
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by TazManiac »

I'm thinking J means demeanor wise.
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illiad
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by illiad »

Atomic wrote:
jwhouk wrote:Okay, one last thing:

After looking at this comic, hit the "First" button.

Then try to tell someone else that the girl on the left in the first comic is the same gal as the one in the last comic.
People grow!
yes, and so does the artist's craft... It takes time and experience to improve.. just look at the first simpsons cartoon, totally different in quality from the latest..
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Julie
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by Julie »

TazManiac wrote:I'm thinking J means demeanor wise.
She's definitely changed in her demeanor. :) Artistic changes and physical "growth" over time aside, the Monica we first fell in love with isn't quite the same beastie as she is today. :)
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AnotherFairportfan
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by AnotherFairportfan »

"Beastie"' huh?
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Julie
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Re: Behind You 2014-07-10

Post by Julie »

AnotherFairportfan wrote:"Beastie"' huh?
At this point, definitely. :P
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