Do You Hear Me 2016-11-09

[lake_wrangler]

http://wapsisquare.com/comic/do-you-hear-me/

Something tells me this investigation is not going the way Castela had envisioned...

[Drakkenmensch]

Please don't look Atsali! Please don't look!!!

*cries* please don't look...

[Dave]

Oww. Oww!

At least we now know what happened to Walter. That doesn't make the situation any better.

Castela's certainly getting the answer to the question she had raised. Be careful what you ask for...

[FreeFlier]

I think Pickle regrets her investigation . . .

At least so far, A'sawi hasn't gotten out and seen her mother.

--FreeFlier

[Opus the Poet]

We haven't learned yet what caused Atsali's abandonment phobia.

I dread finding out.

[Sgt. Howard]

I am in tears

[My2Cents]

Did Castela notice the comment that Walter was killed by a .308 while driving home? Most likely a sniper, indicating that Atsali's entire family was deliberately targeted, not just because they were Castela's guards.

Also, I don't think Castela has connected that she is the plant Atsali was carrying around, which will really hurt when she realizes she is the cause of the death of Atsali's parents. And she does not know about the retaliation that we were shown in a flashback, so she may start looking to get some of her own.

[Alkarii]

At which point, Monica might step in and convince her to stop what she's doing, using one method or another. That, or Atsali or Kath could talk her out of a rampage.

[AnotherFairportfan]

Did Castela notice the comment that Walter was killed by a .308 while driving home? Most likely a sniper, indicating that Atsali's entire family was deliberately targeted, not just because they were Castela's guards.

Organisations like that don't have particularly lenient retirement plans for people who leave with company assets in their pockets.

Also, I don't think Castela has connected that she is the plant Atsali was carrying around, which will really hurt when she realizes she is the cause of the death of Atsali's parents. And she does not know about the retaliation that we were shown in a flashback, so she may start looking to get some of her own.

She doesn't know YET about Cassi and Foxglove...

And, to be honest ... in a situation like this i'd say there's no such thing as too much vengeance.

[jwhouk]

We haven't learned yet what caused Atsali's abandonment phobia.

I dread finding out.

Put two and two together.

[Warrl]

We haven't learned yet what caused Atsali's abandonment phobia.

I dread finding out.

Put two and two together.

At this point, the two major possibilities are:

1. A'sawi finds her mother's body.

2. A'sawi doesn't find her mother's body, but never sees either of her parents again.

Either possibly made worse by it being hours - with her alone - before MIB finds her.

[FreeFlier]

Either would do it . . . especially if someone tried to soften it by telling her "they had to go away for a while" and that got set before someone told her the truth.

And having to "go poddy" on the floor wouldn't help . . . that might set an idea that momma left because A'sawi went poddy on the floor.

You never know what ideas a child that size will come up with.

--FreeFlier

[Armorlord]

So Walter is only reported dead. Sniper and a car crash could still be messy enough for a fake out.
There are still enemies in the building looking to get into her room, and no indication yet that MiB arrived while they were active.
Something very bad is still to happen in front of Astali, and, as bad as it is, I don't think just finding her mom is going to cause the full mindbreak we see later. Either at the hands of the baddies, or perhaps her father abandoning her more directly. There is still a deeper level of this tragedy to be reached.

[eee]

The simulation isn't ending. Walter is reportedly dead. The attackers are still around and given the sort of hardware they've shown, should be capable of getting through the door or walls. And we don't know how close the MiB are, or even if they're on the way.

Is it possible there's some previously unknown force about to intervene to change things? Or will the MiB arrive in time?

Also, the Library might want to be careful about pushing Castela too far. It may be indestructible by normal methods, but we don't know how abnormal Castela's abilities are, or how much she can unleash if she loses control.

[oldmanmickey]

This could very easly get out of hand fast. I do think this will set her tone for the rest of her life.

[jwhouk]

Is it possible there's some previously unknown force about to intervene to change things? Or will the MiB arrive in time?

Also, the Library might want to be careful about pushing Castela too far. It may be indestructible by normal methods, but we don't know how abnormal Castela's abilities are, or how much she can unleash if she loses control.

You know the answer to that first question. And we're looking right at it in that final panel.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Yep. .308 is a sniper's round, someone got dropped from about a half a click. Looks like they were worried CQB might be countered by whatever para stuff he could do.

Now little Pickle is beginning to realize the kind of ... er... crap-storm that she asked for. Be careful of what you wish for... you just might get it.

[Armorlord]

Is it possible there's some previously unknown force about to intervene to change things? Or will the MiB arrive in time?

My top three are theories all involve the bads breaching the safe room.
They breach, mysterious friendly third party intervenes. Death faking Walter, other more mysterious figures, etc.
They breach, mysterious unfriendly party that MiB was not aware of gets involved. Shapeshifter, maybe plays at being her parents, or perhaps semi-hostile fae killing bads, blurring Atsali's memory, and relocating Castela.
They breach, get unfriendly with Atsali, and baby Castela murders them horrifically and traumatically.

[AnotherFairportfan]

The simulation isn't ending. Walter is reportedly dead. The attackers are still around and given the sort of hardware they've shown, should be capable of getting through the door or walls. And we don't know how close the MiB are, or even if they're on the way.

Doubt it. From the previous page, i figure they're gone.

"C'mon! She locked everything up in the saferoom. We'll have to get it another way! Let's go!"

Also, the Library might want to be careful about pushing Castela too far. It may be indestructible by normal methods, but we don't know how abnormal Castela's abilities are, or how much she can unleash if she loses control.

I was thinking about this, when i suddenly laughed out loud at the implication of that "normal" qualifier.

A Titan, in the full of her power, can't hurt the Librarian, much less the Library.

Quite a definition of "normal".

[TazManiac]

...
They breach, get unfriendly with Atsali, and baby Castela murders them horrifically and traumatically.

Yepper, wait and see...