Wapsi Square Forum

Ay.. Flashback-time. talk about "traumatic experience"

[Low Whistle]

I thought "that girl at the orphanage" was going to be... I dunno, a story. Like, a quick reference to put the idea into our heads, and then Paul would move on.
[facepalm]
What was I thinking? Duh, this is Wapsi Square. I shoulda seen the grim-dark phase approaching when I saw Nadette crying...

(Vocabulary: grim-dark is an adjective a friend of mine and I created or maybe heard of and adopted that is exactly what it says on the tin. A story that is grim-dark is grim and dark. Wapsi had a big grim-dark phase a while ago, involving the Tar. Black Lagoon (an anime) is made entirely of grim-dark. Bleach is kinda grim-dark.)

Who?

What?


I am way behind.. or am I missing the totally obvious?

ValiantAngel wrote:Who?

What?


I am way behind.. or am I missing the totally obvious?

We don't know who the hanged girl is, other than she's probably the girl Pickle is talking about here. Somehow, this is the incident in Atsali's past that is preventing Nadette from seeing her future clearly. Precisely how THAT works has yet to be explained.

I'm glad Jabberwonky cracked the first joke so I don't feel like such an ass for thinking about piñatas.

GlytchMeister wrote:(Vocabulary: grim-dark is an adjective a friend of mine and I created or maybe heard of and adopted that is exactly what it says on the tin. A story that is grim-dark is grim and dark. Wapsi had a big grim-dark phase a while ago, involving the Tar. Black Lagoon (an anime) is made entirely of grim-dark. Bleach is kinda grim-dark.)

"Grimdark" supposedly originates from the tagline of the game Warhammer 40,000. Yes, it's a good word for the direction Wapsi takes sometimes.

jwhouk wrote:(cracks knuckles)


There's only one, somewhat logical, somewhat eyebrow-raising (and thus close to the "willing suspension of unbelief") explanation to all this:

PTSD affects people differently, and at different speeds. (For another webcomic example, head over here and read forward.) The full force of her PTSD didn't hit her right away, either - and she was older when the trigger event happened.

You had to post a link to "The Talk." I nearly escaped without an archive binge.

GlytchMeister wrote:[Low Whistle]

I thought "that girl at the orphanage" was going to be... I dunno, a story. Like, a quick reference to put the idea into our heads, and then Paul would move on.
[facepalm]
What was I thinking? Duh, this is Wapsi Square. I shoulda seen the grim-dark phase approaching when I saw Nadette crying...

(Vocabulary: grim-dark is an adjective a friend of mine and I created or maybe heard of and adopted that is exactly what it says on the tin. A story that is grim-dark is grim and dark. Wapsi had a big grim-dark phase a while ago, involving the Tar. Black Lagoon (an anime) is made entirely of grim-dark. Bleach is kinda grim-dark.)

First time I heard "Grim-Dark" was in refrence to Warhammer 40,000.

"In the grim dark future of the fortieth millennium, there is only war."

edit; read the whole thread before you post, Boxilar. Shadow got the reference.

As to the story, someone find me a Wapsi main character that doesn't have a dark and tortured past. Our newest POV character, Atsali, is an orphan whose parents, as far as we know, were murdered. She's witnessed a suicide. I realize trauma is what often motivates people to do more with their lives than simply be ordinary folk, but still. At this point I kind of expect Jaqui to pop up with some tragic tale about her dead aunt. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the comic. It's just the repeated hits to the feels are a bit rough sometimes.

Yes it does go a bit dark at times but thats what gives us so much to talk about. Heck thats half the fun for me. WEll that plus listening to the singing and the filking.

Jabberwonky wrote:That doesn't look anything like I'd expect Mr. Meadows lower half to be...

Well ... With the way these beings can shape-shift, you never know.

You know I'm kinda getting tired of so many people talking about PTSD for everything upsetting that occurs. I have heard people worrying about it because a child's goldfish died! So let's put a bit of reality into this. Yes it is caused by a traumatic event, one or more, in someone's life. But not every event can, or will, result in developing it. It depends on the mental solidity of the individual when they experience the event, not on the event itself. So yes this was a bad event to discover. What it causes depends on so many factors we cannot just say Sali has PTSD from it!!!

A suicide stems from many reasons. But at the root it is because the individual decides there is no other solution than escape into death. Unless Sali is the one who put the girl(?) into that state the most she will experience is confusion about why it happened. What was so bad the person would choose this means of dealing with a problem is what most people wonder and confuses them. If Sali decides it was her fault because she didn't notice the victim was in a downward spiral Sali might induce PTSD in herself. But I don't see Mr. Meadows letting a spiral like that happen. To prevent it only takes at least one person talking to Sali so she see's it was not her fault. The most likely one to do that is the mystic pickle. Besides we have all seen the Sali's insecurities all stem from doubts about her self worth because no one wanted her, not from "Get it might be my fault someone killed themselves."

So can we stop dragging that reason into all the psychobabble while discussing the MEANING behind the events that get revealed as the story goes forward? While PTSD is real it is not the cause of everything!

sheesh, is there space next to confusion corner for "councillors' corner" ???

here is mr meadows...

went a bit too far here, though... I had a 'trauma dream' ages ago - your brain carries on thinking you 'doing normal stuff',
even though you are on your way to hospital...
But I thought I had got into work, not been run over on my bike... If I had seen UFOs, at least I would not have thought it was 'real'.

Trauma is part of life- it is a question of degree. Nadette "knew" that certain events had to happen in order for Atsali to find happiness... details were fuzzy, but I say confronting the other girl's suicide will be a major factor.

Biscuits & gravy, hog jowl, grits, coffee sweetened with molasses, flapjacks & fresh persimmons on the table to start the "Councillors' corner"- comfort foods of Appalachia... healing starts with good food.

I guess some 'army grade' tea for those in the military too (so strong it can be used to degrease your kit ) plus some 'medicinal' rum... :/ (its wapsiverse, all the good effects, none of the bad!!! :E )

Zachariah: I am a counselor. I do deal with stuff like this on a regular basis. Thank God I have yet to actually have to cut someone down or find someone dead like Atsali did - and I pray that I never will.

At this point in her life, Atsali has experienced way too much death on a personal level. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Sgt. Howard wrote:Biscuits & gravy, hog jowl, grits, coffee sweetened with molasses, flapjacks & fresh persimmons on the table to start the "Councillors' corner"- comfort foods of Appalachia... healing starts with good food.

"Gourmet Comfort Food" may be an oxymoron, but that menu shows you are a connoisseur.

Here's my take on it... FWIW

The girl Castela referred to was a loner, or not as well liked. Picked on. Hazed incessantly. Atsali befriended her in an attempt to come out of her own shell but by this time I fear the decision to end it was already in the works. Maybe this other girl just thought Atsali was faking being friends, or believed her, but all the hazing of the others was too much for her. The theory put forth that the girl might have been up for an adoption that fell through... and Atsali herself has shown us how devastating that can be here: http://wapsisquare.com/comic/waiting-to-be-sent-back/ . If Kath hadn't pressed to Adopt, might Atsali have ended up like the girl?

Atsali's expressions coupled with what we've found out today make me think that my theory might be very possible.

Just a little more of the kids' life in the Orphanage. It's part of Atsali's current emotional makeup, but we don't know yet how that is affecting Nadette's foresight. But, the happiness she saw may not actually involve a romantic connection between Bear and Bird. Atsali may just be one of those people who defies all oracular proddings, like Arthur from the movie "Excalibur", who took Merlin by surprise by forging his own way to his destiny. Or Team Dai-Gurren from Tenga Toppa Gurren Lagann, who kicked reason to the curb, unscrewed the inscrutable, told Fate to pound sand, and forged their own pure future to show that nothing can stop them, even if they have to punch out an entire Universe to do it because just who in the hell do you think they are!?
.
.
.
.
.
*ahem*
Anyway, I just find it odd that Nadette is trying to use her Seer-ing forecasting power for her own ends. Fortune-telling, scrying, and other means for mere mortals to peek at the future is fraught with Heisenburgian uncertainty and the rule of "Cheaters Never Prosper." You have to learn the Why if you want to be able to know When to do the What to get This or That. Otherwise you end up with more Huh? than you can handle.

kingklash wrote:Anyway, I just find it odd that Nadette is trying to use her Seer-ing forecasting power for her own ends. Fortune-telling, scrying, and other means for mere mortals to peek at the future is fraught with Heisenburgian uncertainty and the rule of "Cheaters Never Prosper." You have to learn the Why if you want to be able to know When to do the What to get This or That. Otherwise you end up with more Huh? than you can handle.

That's one of the recurring themes in Donaldson's "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" novels: un-earned knowledge and lore are dangerous. Giving people power (and knowledge is power) when they haven't ""worked their way up to it" does them no favors. You have to do the work "up front" and develop your own "feel" for the character and limits of the lore you are seeking, or you risk abusing the power (often out of ignorance) and bringing down disaster upon yourself and others.

Sgt. Howard wrote:Trauma is part of life- it is a question of degree. Nadette "knew" that certain events had to happen in order for Atsali to find happiness... details were fuzzy, but I say confronting the other girl's suicide will be a major factor.

Biscuits & gravy, hog jowl, grits, coffee sweetened with molasses, flapjacks & fresh persimmons on the table to start the "Councillors' corner"- comfort foods of Appalachia... healing starts with good food.

Brings a jar of fig preserves as well as a bowl of tomato gravy and hopes them is catheads.

MR MEADOWS THE LIGHTBULB NEEDS CHANGING

but seriously, as jwhouk pointed out,

Explains why Atsali was reckless for adventure; after seeing what the orphanage had to offer, she wasn't inspired so much by the books she read, but by the bucket list she wrote.

Also: http://wapsisquare.com/comic/all-my-fault/


also also [graphic page]: http://wapsisquare.com/comic/dead-sea-dig/

Yamara wrote://Explains why Atsali was reckless for adventure; after seeing what the orphanage had to offer, she wasn't inspired so much by the books she read, but by the bucket list she wrote.

Also: http://wapsisquare.com/comic/all-my-fault/

Yeah. in the light of this page, that's a real PTSD/survivor guilt/abandonment complex in the making.

And it ties in with Katharine's similar case from the second link there.

I wonder if Katharine checked Atsali's record at the Orphanage closely enough to know about this incident before she decided definitely to adopt Atsali.