Darn Good 2014-08-11

[Atomic]

Whadda ya know?

Cats and dogs, living together.... Must be one of those apocalypse things.

Some people change when they want to. Some people change when they have to. Some just dig in their heels.

[KnightDelight]

am i the only one that keeps thinking fish tacos?

I'm thinking sushi.

So, mermaids have much the same reputation as the Fae. Taking delight in screwing people over that is. Only the mermaids probably have to do it the old fashioned way; backbiting and subterfuge mixed with gossip and lies. Something must be afoot (afluke?) though, given the forced smile demeanor of the tailsome twosome. Maybe they have something to confess, or need help with something. Or they just want to be in with the friend of the mighty morphin power princess.

[jwhouk]

I'm thinking the pecking order is Fae, Mermaids, Sirens.

[zachariah]

This shows there is more to Jessie than garden hose abilities. While she does show a lot of mermaid traits she is better than most. While she is trying to get on Sali's good side she at least is mostly honest about it. She faced the embarrassment of saying hi after telling Sali to just stay out of her circle. When called on it she admitted it. So she gets a point for being honest.

I do think Cricket is being to harsh on her though. While he assessment is spot on the rudeness of it could very well back fire and drive Jessie away. I don't think Krystal will stick around but Jessie is a possible connection which would help both of them I think. (Sali and Jessie)

[eee]

Jessie shows she has unexpected depths and awareness. Which is good, for a mermaid. I wonder if she's got the courage - and diplomatic skills - to call Cricket on using racial slurs.

I also wonder how this is going to develop. Krystal obviously thinks they can go the "We're all best buddies now!" route, while Jessie seems more understanding of the situation and is willing to feel out what sort of relationship they can have with Atsali and this new social group that seems to be developing, consisting of some of the most powerful beings in the school...

[jwhouk]

Point of order - Krystle is the one who had most of the dialogue in today's installment, not Jessie.

[Dave]

It seems that Mermaids are quite prevalent in the paranormal world.

"Not uncommon" at least.

What Cricket says about the mermaid girls at her previous school, if true, is interesting... especially when combined with that catty remark Jessie made about sirens (and Krystle's expression).

That might just be the same sort of social-ladder jockying we see among human teens... or, we might just have learned something about mermaid culture. They might just be a race whose social rankings are worked out with a lot of innuendo and treachery (as the picking order of the sphinxes is worked out through overt violence). There have certainly been plenty of human cultures in which "reputation wars" play a huge role... social snubs and putdowns as opposed to physical violence.

So, mermaids have much the same reputation as the Fae. Taking delight in screwing people over that is. Only the mermaids probably have to do it the old fashioned way; backbiting and subterfuge mixed with gossip and lies. Something must be afoot (afluke?) though, given the forced smile demeanor of the tailsome twosome. Maybe they have something to confess, or need help with something. Or they just want to be in with the friend of the mighty morphin power princess.

I think we're thinking along the same general lines.

As to why they came forward... based on what we've seen of these two, Jessie is clearly the leader and Krystle is a follower ("syncophant" is probably a fair term for her). Talking to Atsali now was very probably Jessie's idea. The fact that Jessie used her social influence to deter other kids from harrassing Atsali (even while maintaining the "queen bee vs. nerd" social distance), suggests to me that Jessie does honor an important concept: "fair is fair".

Jessie owed Atsali... Atsali saved her from humiliation, even though Jessie had just tried to "put down" Atsali quite publicly. Jessie quickly acknowledged her debt, and has been quietly paying it off.

I think Jessie is, in part, coming forward now (and being honest about what she had been doing) to acknowledge another sort of debt. She now realizes that Atsali wasn't just a powerless social victim of her catty remark. Atsali has powerful-enough connections that, if she had wanted to, she could probably have hit Jessie with all kinds of hurt in retaliation for that "slutty sirens" comment (Jessie has to know how much that little bit of nerd-tormenting would have burned). And yet Atsali let her live, un-shredded by a visit from Aunt Monica the Jaguar Girl carrying a package of a mermaid's worst fears.

So... once again, "fair is fair".

Jessie's frank no-bullshit acknowledgment of Atsali's analysis, and her confirming that she'd been "warning off" the other kids from hassling Atsali, are definitely an olive branch. "I realize you've been acting honorably and mercufully towards me. I want you to know I've acted honorably towards you, in my own fashion. Peace?" Pragmatically, burying the hatchet makes very good sense when you realize that the other party's hatchet is actually a squadron of Ditch Witch chainsaws-from-Hell.

Point of order - Krystle is the one who had most of the dialogue in today's installment, not Jessie.

I think you're mistaken, although from the way it's drawn it's easy to misinterpret.

As I read it, Krystle was speaking in the first frame. Jessie interrupted her in the second frame, with a tight-lipped override... and Krystle just completely froze up as Jessie cut her off.

Krystle is really out of her depth here.

[lake_wrangler]

I am truly enjoying all this analysis, this morning. Much of it seems spot on.

I do home someone calls on Calista to tone down the attitude, though.

[zachariah]

Point of order - Krystle is the one who had most of the dialogue in today's installment, not Jessie.

Doesn't matter who spoke the most. Jessie was the one who said the important things for the two of them. Being honest about past connections and facing up to it when called is a big point in her favor. Krystle loses a point but then she is following the wrong game plan and hasn't caught on yet. lol.

Cricket does need to tone it done a lot. She is giving a backhanded compliment with a brick held in the hand. She is letting her prejudice run away with her. Take the brink out to get the proper amount of making the point.

[Wdot]

I don't know if anyone else posited this but I'm betting that the cheerleaders that were ,um, humiliated by Cricket were "tuna girls," and word spread and thats why Jesse and Krystle were so scared of her. The remark Cricket made to them about being honest tuna girls and the golf ball remark shows antipathy towards mermaids that just might not be 'racial.' I like Dave's line of thinking that Jesse is an honorable person and she realized that Atsali could have made her life miserable for her remark in the pool, but chose not to.

[analyst]

.. if you're click lazy :/ the main line is *less than* fish sauce...

In my case, it's not laziness, it's just that any archive dive is not accomplished in less than half an hour due to the prevalence of forward and back buttons (c8

[lake_wrangler]

.. if you're click lazy :/ the main line is *less than* fish sauce...

In my case, it's not laziness, it's just that any archive dive is not accomplished in less than half an hour due to the prevalence of forward and back buttons (c8

Do you mean to say that whenever you click on a corroborating link, you have a tendency to read on from there? Tsk, tsk... How undisciplined of you...

I'm sure everyone else, here is able to resist the urge to follow up on such an incredibly compelling story that draws you in at a moment's notice...

[Jabberwonky]

.. if you're click lazy :/ the main line is *less than* fish sauce...

In my case, it's not laziness, it's just that any archive dive is not accomplished in less than half an hour due to the prevalence of forward and back buttons (c8

Do you mean to say that whenever you click on a corroborating link, you have a tendency to read on from there? Tsk, tsk... How undisciplined of you...

I'm sure everyone else, here is able to resist the urge to follow up on such an incredibly compelling story that draws you in at a moment's notice...

Only subtly less dangerous than TV Tropes...

[txmystic]

I was thinking that this focus on the doings of the paranormal teens would be temporary, but I can see now that Paul has been layering a rather complex tale quite subtly such that we may not get back to the continuing adventures of Monica, Shelley et al for awhile, except as how they are relating to this group.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the look on Circket's face in the last panel!

[jwhouk]

Only subtly less dangerous than TV Tropes...

You know, if you're going to provide the link, make it topical.

[Wapsi]

I'm thinking the pecking order is Fae, Mermaids, Sirens.

Correct.

[Wapsi]

Point of order - Krystle is the one who had most of the dialogue in today's installment, not Jessie.

Jessie is speaking up in frame 2, Krystle is in shock. Sorry that it was ambiguous.

[Catawampus]

I get the impression that the situation has fractured Krystle's brain. A good sycophant needs to be able to adapt quickly and anticipate her leader's course of action. Perhaps Krystle doesn't know Jessie all that well, or else Jessie being honest is something new to her.

I don't know if anyone else posited this but I'm betting that the cheerleaders that were ,um, humiliated by Cricket were "tuna girls," and word spread and thats why Jesse and Krystle were so scared of her. The remark Cricket made to them about being honest tuna girls and the golf ball remark shows antipathy towards mermaids that just might not be 'racial.' I like Dave's line of thinking that Jesse is an honorable person and she realized that Atsali could have made her life miserable for her remark in the pool, but chose not to.

At least with Monica now keeping an eye on Calista, there shouldn't be any illusory incidents involving gossamers, garden hoses, and golf balls. . .

[Warrl]

I like Jessie's "shut up before you get us killed" expression in panel 2.

[kingklash]

Point of order - Krystle is the one who had most of the dialogue in today's installment, not Jessie.

Jessie is speaking up in frame 2, Krystle is in shock. Sorry that it was ambiguous.

Bonus Creator Points for not saying "amphibious".