Missing Something 2015-04-27

[Elvis]

"that still doesn't help"

yes it does, yes it does, at least for one person.

[zachariah]

Kind of hard to call it "bi the way" when she's so direct about it.


*deposits a thumb drive with all directly related tvtropes articles on it in the pun jar*

How big is that thumb drive? I didn't think they made one large enough to handle all the tropes articles that Paul has used like this.

[captnq]

After someone reacted like Atsali, I'd feel like I was dealing with someone with the emotional stability of an 11 year old. I don't care how old someone was, someone who acts like that is "innocent". I would never want to be the one to shatter that innocence. I'd immediately back off. I don't care how she looks, that reaction right there would have turned me right off.

I've got this vibe like Seven of Nine hitting on Kim in Voyager episode Revulsion. Let me sum it up:
Yeah, I'm attracted to you, but I realize it means absolutely nothing to you and your willingness to have sex anyways freaks me out.

[Hansontoons]

• "The place where I come from is a small town
  They think so small
  They use small words
  But not me
  I'm smarter than that
  I worked it out
  I've been stretching my mouth
  To let those big words come right out"

Well, good luck with that, darlin!

Big time!

[Sgt. Howard]

My nose would be callused for the amount of time hers has been rubbed in it. I have a four-pound smithing maul more sensitive than that.

Look behind you, dear- it went over your head.

Nadette- use small words and speak directly. Repeat after me-"You really turn me on and I am falling in love with you. I want to make out with you,"
Atsali- consider if you want a romantic relationship with Nadette and give her a direct answere
Sgt. Howard- it is only a cartoon strip, stop stressing over it like one of them is your own flesh and blood. Paul is running the show and he is having a great deal of fun with it, just sit back and enjoy the ride

[Dave]

Sometimes, the struggle against obliviousness resembles the effort of a salmon to swim upstream to reach its spawning grounds.

Sometimes it must swim against a very strong current,

Sometimes it has to jump over obstacles.

Sometimes it must jump time and time again to get past a barrier, such as a waterfall.

Salmon Atsali, meet Victoria Falls, also known as Bane Of the Clueless.

[jwhouk]

That sound you heard? That was the gasp of practically every WS reader as they read that final panel.

[Opus the Poet]

Sometimes, the struggle against obliviousness resembles the effort of a salmon to swim upstream to reach its spawning grounds.

Sometimes it must swim against a very strong current,

Sometimes it has to jump over obstacles.

Sometimes it must jump time and time again to get past a barrier, such as a waterfall.

Salmon Atsali, meet Victoria Falls, also known as Bane Of the Clueless.

Aren't Victoria Falls near the headwaters of DeNile?

[eee]

Dear God. Poor Nadette. Poor Atsali! This is going to be a difficult relationship for both.

Of course, that 'Sali just casually stated she was bisexual couldn't hurt. Much. Maybe.

[Skywatcher68]

Sort of shifting gears, but not really. Why is it so important for the Mer girl, that Atsali not blame her for goat boy hooking up with her brother?

Fear of being turned into sushi by Auntie Demon Shepherd.

And, for that matter, how would Atsali even come to such a conclusion?

Teenage logic.

[meisdadoo]

If Nadette actually manages to get her point across (which I will assume for the moment is "I want to be your girlfriend and have for quite some time now") I wonder how long it will take Atsali's mind to process it? And once she does, how long it will take her to retroactively recontextualize the whole "emergency jumpsuit" incident? And then how will she react to it once she figures out exactly how "close" they've been already?

I suspect that "liking boys and girls" is a trait of the sirens (and succubi, etc), hence their reputation for being "slutty". As Katherine told Atasli, she took (paranormal) parenting classes and knows that sirens, etc perceive relationships, desires, etc differently. The problem is that Atsali has no clue as to how the rest of the world perceives these things. Therefore once our little bear cub just states plainly what she is feeling/wants; Atsali will just say something like "Well why didn't you say something earlier, we could have dated!" The fact that they were skintight jumpsuit close wont phase her one bit, she is a siren after all.

So here is my take on the whole sirens are sluts; no they aren't thing. Firstly, a slut is promiscuous and addicted to the endorphins of sexual activity, mistaking them for love. Hence always trying to fill a round hole with a square peg. Secondly, sirens (and a few other paranormals) experience sex and love differently than most others, apparently making them somewhat immune to the advances of others--so they really can't understand how much effect they can have on others (like back at the island with the bear girls).

*throws a copy of 'Everything you wanted to know about paranormal sex but were afraid to ask' and box of assorted pegs into the pun jar.*

[Catawampus]

This is the worst place Nadette could be having this conversation. If she decides to tee the ball up and take a huge swing and kiss Atsali, or tell Atsali that she loves and wants her, Katherine stands to chance hearing or walking in on the conversation... or worse... Pickle, who will immediately blow everything out of proportion.

That could actually be why this is the best place for this conversation, for both Atsali and Nadette. There was some concern expressed both in-comic and out-of-comic that Nadette may have been taking advantage of Atsali during the Second Mapimi Escapades. If Nadette shares these concerns and is worried about her own self-control and her ability to easily manipulate Atsali's innocent obliviousness, then what better place to confront Atsali about her feelings than in a place that is safest for Atsali? It would be very difficult for Nadette to take advantage of Atsali here and now, whether it was deliberate or not.

And I swear, if Pickle walks in and delays this for another week, I won't be able to decide if she's cute or annoying. Katherine, I'm thinking would delay it a maximum of three days.

Or Cricket and the mergirls will crash through the window as part of some convoluted hijinks in an effort to defuse the nonexistent Atsali-Jacob-Daniel-Jessie situation. Thus leading to ADVENTURE!!!!

So, if the Mer girl (no I don't recall her name, and I'm not going to go look right now). . .

Daryl Hannah?

After someone reacted like Atsali, I'd feel like I was dealing with someone with the emotional stability of an 11 year old. I don't care how old someone was, someone who acts like that is "innocent". I would never want to be the one to shatter that innocence. I'd immediately back off. I don't care how she looks, that reaction right there would have turned me right off.

That's likely the main reasons why she's not one of the characters in this comic who I do find attractive. Don't get me wrong, I like her as a character, and she seems a nice person and has many good qualities. Granted that my own sexuality seems to have a few quirks different from the usual, but the idea of hooking up with a real-world version of Atsali would feel so very wrong. She just doesn't seem mentally ready for that sort of thing yet, even if she is physically.

Of course, that 'Sali just casually stated she was bisexual couldn't hurt. Much. Maybe.

No more than pouring fuel onto a fire ever hurts anyone.

[donoho]

I think Nadette's head is about to asplode.

*scream of frustration into pillow*

This is the biggest Sheldon Cooper moment I've ever been witness to.

Bazinga!

I did a triple take, looking for a puff of smoke over her head.

This comic makes me feel so much better. Finally someone who misses more social clues than i do.

She's got a few years to catch up with me.

I'ts been said that sirens and incubi perceive attraction differently. It may be their species instinctive weapon. They naturally shrug off feelings of lust, love, desire or attraction from others while overwhelming their opponent by inducing these same feelings.
Sali seems to respond to physical or mental interactions with physical arousal but not with lust. Her mind stays clear.
She seems to want friendship, belonging, made to feel special like all her friends.
She gets embarrassed by her physical arousal or making social mistakes.
Most people have an overlapping continuum of friendly like, to romantic love, to physical arousal.
Maybe sirens and incubi experience friendly like and physical arousal but they do not connect the two experiences.
Sirens seem to be capable of love, but it is very well guarded by their instincts.

So that's my theory which will most likely be proven wrong by comic tomorrow.

Walter

As an incubus, that sounds about right. This explanation would have come in really handy 20+ yrs ago.

[DinkyInky]

• "The place where I come from is a small town
  They think so small
  They use small words
  But not me
  I'm smarter than that
  I worked it out
  I've been stretching my mouth
  To let those big words come right out"

Well, good luck with that, darlin!

@$#%&¢! That's the fourth time in as many days someone has gotten a song from "So" stuck in my head. You guys are going to make me wear out my record(yeah, I have it on vinyl--git off mah lawn!).

[eee]

[

So, if the Mer girl (no I don't recall her name, and I'm not going to go look right now). . .

Daryl Hannah?

I nominate a Daryl Hannah lookalike for Jessie's Mom!

[illiad]

• "The place where I come from is a small town
  They think so small
  They use small words
  But not me
  I'm smarter than that
  I worked it out
  I've been stretching my mouth
  To let those big words come right out"

Well, good luck with that, darlin!

@$#%&¢! That's the fourth time in as many days someone has gotten a song from "So" stuck in my head. You guys are going to make me wear out my record(yeah, I have it on vinyl--git off mah lawn!).

save the vinyl, man....

[Opus the Poet]

Dear God. Poor Nadette. Poor Atsali! This is going to be a difficult relationship for both.

Of course, that 'Sali just casually stated she was bisexual couldn't hurt. Much. Maybe.

Could be just the thing, actually. Nadette now knows that sexual relationships are not very meaningful to Atsali on an emotional level because of Atsali's heritage, but not that she doesn't like them. She (probably) likes them but places a higher value on having people to hang out with.

[DilyV]

Dear God. Poor Nadette. Poor Atsali! This is going to be a difficult relationship for both.

Of course, that 'Sali just casually stated she was bisexual couldn't hurt. Much. Maybe.

Could be just the thing, actually. Nadette now knows that sexual relationships are not very meaningful to Atsali on an emotional level because of Atsali's heritage, but not that she doesn't like them. She (probably) likes them but places a higher value on having people to hang out with.

Atsali seems to be searching for a better lot in life than your average Siren should expect. She seems to truly want to just be a normal kid... Not that teenagers are normal... but I think you get my drift. What we've seen out of Atsali so far is that she's hurt deeply by other people's thoughts about Sirens... and is trying to break the stereotype she's been so conveniently wedged in to. It must be so confusing for her... others call her slut because she's a siren, but she has no intention to living up to that stereotype...

[Hansontoons]

• "The place where I come from is a small town
  They think so small
  They use small words
  But not me
  I'm smarter than that
  I worked it out
  I've been stretching my mouth
  To let those big words come right out"

Well, good luck with that, darlin!

@$#%&¢! That's the fourth time in as many days someone has gotten a song from "So" stuck in my head. You guys are going to make me wear out my record(yeah, I have it on vinyl--git off mah lawn!).

save the vinyl, man....

Vids are nice eye candy, but vinyl is so much better! Makes me want to put a stylus down, start with the Car album.

It is interesting that vinyl is achieving a new following. I had a young guy in my group at work, he was crazy about vinyl, loved the pops and noise associated with vintage issues. He is a Pink Floyd fan and I gave him a reasonably worn copy of "Wish You Were Here", he loved it! Go figure. He quit a little while later, now going to med school. As a parting gift, he gave me a copy of Roger Waters "Radio Kaos" on vinyl. Good kid!

With Atsali's kind, perhaps there is a second stage of development. She still now has the innocent mind. After time or outside influence she will become aware of what it's all about...

Hey, I hit it with the sushi remark! We'll see...

[Aed]

Atsali saying that she likes boys and girls is not a statement that she is bi-sexual. While sirens in general and Atsali in particular may be bi-sexual, her statement, however, may be nothing more than emphasis on just how cluelessly innocent Atsali really is.

Consider please, that most of the forum posters have both male and female friends, so we could state frankly that we like both boys and girls. That would not necessarily mean that we are attracted sexually to both. Let's watch and see what Paul shows us next in this adventure.

Atsali - clueless innocence or coy vixen?