The Sound of My Voice, 10-8-2014

[Sidhekin]

That's a high-strung siren, that is.

Careful now.

[zachariah]

Siren's are predator's but not sexual ones. They used their voices to draw people to their death, not to their bed. The sex rep came because men were the usual sailors and they were the primary victim's. Typically the men would claim the siren's called them for sex needing to put a spin on the siren that appealed to their nature and scared them. Men at that time were the aggressor, not women. That made the siren a real danger to them and their self image, this made them really avoid a siren.

Sali's song is not a glamor, it is entrancing. The victim falls in love with the voice and loses all control and freedom of will just to listen to it. They do not fall in love with the singer, just the voice. As long as they hear it their mind is caught and their freedom to act is frozen. There is no sexual component to this, just mental.

Now to see if the bears are affected by Sali's voice. I do notice that the Seer Sister caught the point that her sisters pushing was not about Sali! It makes me wonder if Berdine is having grave doubts about her chances to have a relationship.

[Grantwhy]

I wonder just how much a 'song' has to be a song to trigger the Siren Effect, what effects it can manifest (philia, agape, or eros, or is it more of a hypnotic effect), and how long the effect lasts. And most important, is it voluntary or just anytime she sings.

Well, according to today's page, the words don't matter, they just has to be sung.

Atsali could sing Title 12 Chapter 21 Section 1953 (a) (2) of the US Tax Code and have the same effect as Dream a Little Dream of Me.

hmmmm ..... Does she even need to sing *actual* words?

Would humming work?

What about yodelling?

[analyst]

"Trust in me, just in me
Shut your eyes and trust in me
You can sleep safe and sound
Knowing I am around

Slip into silent slumber
Sail on a silver mist
Slowly and surely your senses
Will cease to resist

Trust in me, just in me
Shut your eyes and trust in me "

Let's test your esoteric Disney song memories (c8.

The eyes made me think of it.

[JSStryker]

And most important, is it voluntary or just anytime she sings.

Well we've seen her singing at home on several occasions with no problems so I'm gonna venture a guess that she has to actively employ the Siren's Song.

[Atomic]

Kaa's song, The Jungle Book

Oh yes, indeedy!

Consider also the effect of singing on the Siren -- there's the satisfaction of spellbinding another, but it also might be like Turkish Delight, making a Siren want to do more.

The sex angle is always popping up in stress/conflict stories, often in the "Men Die, Women are Insatiable" meme. My favorite one was that steam locomotive trains went too fast for nature, so the men would suffocate and the women become "overly stimulated" (something like that). Basically, it's a "Sex Kills" meme -- Le Petit Mort, anyone?

At any rate, while Atsali is a "average teen" with teen angst, self consciousness (amplified by sudden hooter onset syndrome), the recent advent of sexual self awareness, what now of the Siren Song? Is that it's own little pleasure exercise in it's own right, like Runner's High? Or maybe like the very strong person who's clumsy until they get used to it -- Atsali needs to know her own strengths as well as her weaknesses, and some might be the same thing.

[jwhouk]

And Monica's at the Library.

Seems she' might have a bit of trouble at home to deal with.

Forget about Aunt Monica, she's dealing with a miniaturized Box Terrier at the moment. Momma Katherine is the one who should be worried about something like this.


By the way, I have a wild mass guess about something, having seen today's strip (and thinking back to a certain "prophecy" - no not THAT one).

Tina is not just half-Titan; she's also half-SIREN.

But I'll keep it to myself.

[kingklash]

Sure this is high school, but a high school full of Mythics and Paranormals. All the normal unspoken rules have unspoken addendums. Considering how powerful Atali's family can be, She's handling her social blossoming better than her physical one by an extraordinary magnitude.

[Dave]

"Trust in me, just in me... "

Let's test your esoteric Disney song memories (c8.

The eyes made me think of it.

Bang on! That was exactly the song and image I flashed on, when I saw the last frame. Glad I wasn't the only person with that memory.

Sung by Kaa the python (voiced by Sterling Holloway) in Disney's "The Jungle Book"

[Dave]

Siren's are predator's but not sexual ones. They used their voices to draw people to their death, not to their bed. The sex rep came because men were the usual sailors and they were the primary victim's.

Perhaps correct in our mythos. Perhaps not correct in the Wapsiverse. Based in the comments we've seen the characters make about the reputations of Sirens (including what Atsali has said), the "sexual predator" aspect of a Wapsiverse Siren's powers could well be a primary one, and not secondary as in your analysis. It wouldn't be the first time (or the tenth) that Paul has put his own slant on classic mythology.

That could even have been the case in our own mythology, if we put a slightly different interpretation on what we read in the classics. The Siren lure/song could have been a fundamentally sexual draw and fascination... with most of the sailors being drawn towards the Sirens dying because they were so compelled towards her that they couldn't manage a safe landing on a rocky, desolate shore, and shipwrecked and drowned.

If even one sailor per ship survived, the Siren would have her new boy-toy to romp with.

I could even hypothesize that Sirens might be a bit like sphinxes have been described... prone to lose interest in a lover after a while, and discard him. What would be the effect of stopping hearing your Siren singing after a while, when the powerful fascination breaks? Revulsion? Or a crushing, suicidal depression (as in "Angel", whenever the goddess Jasmine's power of instantly compelling worshipful love was broken)?

Or maybe... ugh... Atsali's wrathful-siren aspect looked distinctly predatory in the literal sense... maybe Sirens ate their lovers? They had a reputation for living in desolate places... gotta find food somehow... if the fishing were bad for a while, then... ?

Quite possibly, used-and-abandoned sailors just didn't tend to survive very long...

In any case, it's a heck of a legacy Atsali has inherited... no wonder she was hoping that she hadn't inherited the full package of traits from her mother's side of the family.

[DilyV]

No Nadette... this is ALL about Atsali. Atsali knows she has this power over people... not just men (or boys). This isn't so much Atsali worrying about the boy wanting her honestly as it is about Atsali worrying that she's somehow used her own power to influence the decision without realizing it. The thought of using her abilities to steal away the free will of others horrifies her. I saw it in school... Some of the most nerdy types who boys wouldn't have given time to otherwise are now the IT girls when they alla sudden get boobs over a summer vacation. The girls themselves KNOW something isn't right (you only want me now because I got boobs), but often use their newfound popularity (Look at me... I've got boobs now! Want me! Love me!!) to raise their social status. Such girls who use their newfound wiles are never happy with themselves, no matter what they project in public.

It's obvious Atsali doesn't want to be in the social limelight. She doesn't want the mantle that's been thrust on her because if she knows the siren's tale, then so do others and she understands she'll never be perceived fairly. Others will think she's using her influence to steal the show so to speak. Atsali herself will always live in fear that she's somehow used her abilities to force people to see things differently.

I get the feeling that Atsali is going to hate herself later for even having to give this demonstration.

[lake_wrangler]

"Trust in me, just in me... "

Let's test your esoteric Disney song memories (c8.

The eyes made me think of it.

Bang on! That was exactly the song and image I flashed on, when I saw the last frame. Glad I wasn't the only person with that memory.

Sung by Kaa the python (voiced by Sterling Holloway) in Disney's "The Jungle Book"

While I didn't picture Kaa upon seeing today's comic, I only needed to read half of the first line of Analyst's post, to start hearing his voice singing the rest...

[illiad]

trusssst in meee

I think its just atsali getting sick of all the 'issues' at school, and does not want to talk about it!!

she tried telling them... they did not listen, so she went for the 'other' option..

[lake_wrangler]

Atsali knows she has this power over people... not just men (or boys). This isn't so much Atsali worrying about the boy wanting her honestly as it is about Atsali worrying that she's somehow used her own power to influence the decision without realizing it. The thought of using her abilities to steal away the free will of others horrifies her. I saw it in school... Some of the most nerdy types who boys wouldn't have given time to otherwise are now the IT girls when they alla sudden get boobs over a summer vacation. The girls themselves KNOW something isn't right (you only want me now because I got boobs), but often use their newfound popularity (Look at me... I've got boobs now! Want me! Love me!!) to raise their social status. Such girls who use their newfound wiles are never happy with themselves, no matter what they project in public.

It's obvious Atsali doesn't want to be in the social limelight. She doesn't want the mantle that's been thrust on her because if she knows the siren's tale, then so do others and she understands she'll never be perceived fairly. Others will think she's using her influence to steal the show so to speak. Atsali herself will always live in fear that she's somehow used her abilities to force people to see things differently.

Yes, Atsali is going through all that turmoil. Yes, she is deeply concerned. Yes, she wants to be careful about how she goes about her day, and how she will ever start a relationship without raising suspicions that she used her powers in order to get the guy. Those are indeed all valid concerns she has, and she is dealing with them as best she can.

However...

No Nadette... this is ALL about Atsali.

Nadette is right: it's not about the fact that Atsali is indeed working through all these emotions. She is not denying those emotions and worries. She is referring to the fact that Berdine keeps pushing the conversation, when Atsali wants to just enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the island. And why, is Berdine pushing? That is what Nadette is talking about. Berdine has ceased to simply be concerned about her friend, but is now projecting, and speaking out of her own fear of not being able to enter into a relationship. After all, as she started saying, if even Atsali, with all her attributes and her social standing, can't get to start a relationship, what chance does SHE have? Insecurities galore, here, on Berdine's part, which makes her push the issue when Atsali just wanted to relax.

That, is what Nadette was referring to.

I get the feeling that Atsali is going to hate herself later for even having to give this demonstration.

It will be interesting to see whether that is the case or not.

[starkruzr]

I mean, she's not hurting Berdette, and her sister is right there.

The poor kid is grappling with her own power. Hopefully at some point she'll realize that just having it doesn't mean she has to use it.

[Dane]

Of course, what with Kids These Days, she has a perfectly safe route to explore a fellow's interest without accidental acoustic interference-- text messaging.

My kid exchanged upwards of 200 messages with another student before their first "date"... & we know Atsali has a smart phone, since the sprout was taking videos of her with it.

[My2Cents]

Members of the paranormal tend to gravitate toward professions that fit their general personnalities and powers, like the vampires to law enforcement. I suspect sirens tend to be politicians, tort lawyers, and used car salesmen, where their abilities would be an advantage.

[Warrl]

Members of the paranormal tend to gravitate toward professions that fit their general personnalities and powers, like the vampires to law enforcement. I suspect sirens tend to be politicians, tort lawyers, and used car salesmen, where their abilities would be an advantage.

Surely they have SOME respectable professions...

[Dave]

Surely they have SOME respectable professions...

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."

Think about it. A Siren's song could probably halt almost any small conflict, by entrancing all those within range of the Siren's voice.

Dealing with the aftermath of a mass entrancement would probably be a delicate issue... "don't try this at home, these are trained professionals"... but it might be workable.

Hostage-situation negotiators, talk-them-down-off-the-ledge suicide counselors... I do think there are some possibilities here.

[Catawampus]

Siren's are predator's but not sexual ones. They used their voices to draw people to their death, not to their bed. The sex rep came because men were the usual sailors and they were the primary victim's.

Perhaps correct in our mythos. Perhaps not correct in the Wapsiverse. Based in the comments we've seen the characters make about the reputations of Sirens (including what Atsali has said), the "sexual predator" aspect of a Wapsiverse Siren's powers could well be a primary one, and not secondary as in your analysis. It wouldn't be the first time (or the tenth) that Paul has put his own slant on classic mythology.

That could even have been the case in our own mythology, if we put a slightly different interpretation on what we read in the classics. The Siren lure/song could have been a fundamentally sexual draw and fascination... with most of the sailors being drawn towards the Sirens dying because they were so compelled towards her that they couldn't manage a safe landing on a rocky, desolate shore, and shipwrecked and drowned.

If even one sailor per ship survived, the Siren would have her new boy-toy to romp with.

I could even hypothesize that Sirens might be a bit like sphinxes have been described... prone to lose interest in a lover after a while, and discard him. What would be the effect of stopping hearing your Siren singing after a while, when the powerful fascination breaks? Revulsion? Or a crushing, suicidal depression (as in "Angel", whenever the goddess Jasmine's power of instantly compelling worshipful love was broken)?

Or maybe... ugh... Atsali's wrathful-siren aspect looked distinctly predatory in the literal sense... maybe Sirens ate their lovers? They had a reputation for living in desolate places... gotta find food somehow... if the fishing were bad for a while, then... ?

Quite possibly, used-and-abandoned sailors just didn't tend to survive very long...

In any case, it's a heck of a legacy Atsali has inherited... no wonder she was hoping that she hadn't inherited the full package of traits from her mother's side of the family.

In the classical mythology, the sirens lured people by promising them whatever it was that they desired. So it could be sex, but not always. In the famous case of Odysseus, for example, they promised him answers to all of his questions. Some sources even state that the sirens were virgins. The emphasis on sex is a more recent thing, maybe starting when the Christian church began using them as symbols for the wicked sexiness of women (dang women, being all sexy and stuff at us poor defenseless menfolk to lead us astray).

People who were lured to the sirens tended to drown on the way to their island. Those who didn't simply sat around doing nothing but listening to the singing until they died of thirst or starvation.

The traits of the sirens weren't consistent from writer to writer, of course, whether in classical times or today. Few writers have mentioned their fondness for cinnamon rolls and vanilla lattes with nutmeg, for instance.

I get the feeling that Atsali is going to hate herself later for even having to give this demonstration.

It will be interesting to see whether that is the case or not.

She certainly seems to already feel that way about her siren nature.