Who Why What Where When 2013-03-13

[Wdot]

Well, I'm usually wrong about these things, but I think Kath set her nose and the pain made her shout in anger/pain to relieve it. After this and the *snort, she had a moment of clarity and solved an equation and is now leading her dynamic sidekick to show her what she figured out.
Fairportfan my fellow Opera user, interesting new avatar you have there!
Jabberwonky I think our fair Siren is a little too big for that kind of plan. Besides she did save her from a cease and desist order from one Coyote Genius that knows how to fall.

[Julie]

Please note the shadow around Kat's eyes... not quite as strong as that around Bia's or Monica's but still suggestive.

(OTOH, it may just be that she's gotten two black eyes...)

I've heard that a broken nose sometimes results in black eyes...and Kat did just reset hers.

Anyone else get the feeling that Kat is marching Atsali to the edge of the hole so she can sit down and toss the bird-brain over her lap for a serious spanking?

[DilyV]

Well okay then, it hasn't been said yet so I'll go ahead and say it... Anyone who would kick a 15 year old apo in the tookas would drag her sorry butt over to the edge of the abyss, toss said apo into said abyss and shout to her not so come back without her socks and boots... I'm still wondering if after she does so will she turn to the apo who saved her and say thank you.

Katherine:

I've just been saved... priorities:

1. Set broken nose.
2. Scream in pain.
3. Toss birdbrain off the cliff to go fetch my footwear. It may not be dangerous for her, but it will sure feel good to toss her off the edge.
4. Offer abject appreciation to the creature who saved me.

Oh and I agree... Atsali has a tongue lashing coming... I just think Kath wants her footwear before having to resort to kicking more tail...

[RunningBull]

"Hey I paid three hundred dollars for those boots!!"

[Opus the Poet]

Small... no HUGE quibble here. Atsali is not an apo, that nomenclature is reserved for a subclass of the sphinxes that guard the library. Atsali is a Mythic, a creature that was found in mythical times but shape-shifts to live among us, just like Euryale, Phyx, and Bia and now Shelly. They are either that actual creatures (Euryale, Bia, and Phyx) of mythic times or are descended from them (Atsali and Shelly). So when Atsali is sporting the wings and tail she is returning to her Mythic form, not her apo form, which doesn't exist.

[Dave]

Please note the shadow around Kat's eyes... not quite as strong as that around Bia's or Monica's but still suggestive.

(OTOH, it may just be that she's gotten two black eyes...)

Oh, she is going to be turning all shades of black, purple, green, and yellow, in addition to the red of blood and (perhaps) the pink of sunburn. Darned near the whole color palette. I suspect you could do a new version of "The Scream" just from the colors of her bruised skin, if some great beast doesn't munch it first.

...She was on meds?

Here.
And arguably here...

Interesting... I'd forgotten that. I wonder what her condition is?

Not OCD, like Becky, I would think. Nor does she seem to have the sort of insensitivity to other peoples' emotions and signals which would suggest Asperger's or another autism-spectrum disorder such as Brandi seems to have. If anything she might be over-sensitive to such things, leading her to withdraw from intensity and rejection.

She seems much too "together" to be fighting schizophrenia (a horrid malady indeed, both for the sufferer and his/her family and friends). Her conversations with Oscar could be delusional... but somehow I doubt it... any fish which can fart as loudly as he does, is more than just an ordinary fish!

Depression or agoraphobia, perhaps? I can't recall whether the DSM lists a specific diagnosis for "reclusive and socially awkward"? I'll have to ask my wife (an MFT) what might be the best "fit" for someone of Kath's characteristics.

Well okay then, it hasn't been said yet so I'll go ahead and say it... Anyone who would kick a 15 year old apo in the tookas would drag her sorry butt over to the edge of the abyss, toss said apo into said abyss and shout to her not so come back without her socks and boots... I'm still wondering if after she does so will she turn to the apo who saved her and say thank you.

May I pick a nit? (and I'm not disagreeing with your possible scenario... it does seem quite possible)

I've seen a number of people use the term "apo" to mean "paranormal entity or shape changer". I think this is a bit confusing. As Paul seems to have used it used it, "apo" is short for "apotropaic sphinx" - it's a reference to one specific paranormal species - the "apotropaic" (protector) sphinxes who inhabit the Time Forest and certain other planes, and who protect humanity from demons. This is a term used in Earthly literature about "spiritually protective" images at ancient religious and holy sites... carved sphinxes decorate many temples in e.g. India and Egypt, and these are referred to as apotropaic.

Shelly sees herself as an apo... she told Justin "I want to keep you safe. I'm a protector sphinx. That's what I do." Phix is a sphinx, but as she disagrees with the idea of killing humans to rid them of demon infestation and has been merciful towards Tina she might not qualify as an "apo". Nudge and Tsillah are neither sphinxes nor apotropaic (although both seem to be good-natured towards humans, overall). Monica and Mayahuel and Tepoz and the GGs can and do act as protectors but I would not refer to them as "apos". Medeia (sp?) was a sphinx, but I don't recall anything to tell us whether she was in an "apo" role or fit into some other niche in sphinx society.

I wish we had a good, short, separate term for "nonhuman, paranormal sentient character" to use in Wapsi discussions, and didn't have to blur/overload the term "apo" which I think is best reserved for the specific subset of sphinxes who protect (or "protect") humanity from demons. I guess just "paranormal" is good... Paul has used this adjective in that fashion in the strip.

That's my $.02 worth of nitpicking for the day

EDIT: Wow - ninja'ed by Opus at the very last instant just before I posted! Well and skillfully done, sir! I guess we must have adopted our pet peeves from the same linguistic kennel!

[Fairportfan]

Atsali got bigger because she shifted to her apo form, I think.

I don't think she was that much taller than Katharine before (though she was taller) - notice that when she swoops Katharine up and flies away with her, her total length doesn't seem to be nearly twice Katharine's, which it does in the current page.

[Fairportfan]

Fairportfan my fellow Opera user, interesting new avatar you have there!

I downloaded Linda Thompson's first solo album from Amazon recently; that's about a third of the cover photo:

[kingklash]

Something else, besides the nose, just snapped into place. Kat made a connection, and needs to act on it while it's still fresh in mind.

Or, she's going to slam-dunk Atsali into the spider pit to get the boots and socks.

[DilyV]

I won't quote Dave's last post due to the length of the post, but yeah... point taken. I hadn't really dug that deep into the meanings of the word Apo... I thought it was an all encompassing term to apply to the supernatural beings Wapsi Square seems to be in an abundance of. Thank you for... well, not so much correcting me, but for educating me. I know something I didn't five minutes ago.

I see the strip has been edited to reflect the setting of Kath's nose and her testing of her nasal passages... and I seriously think that Atsali is going to get chucked into the hole to retrieve Kath's boots.

[KnightDelight]

Atsali got bigger because she shifted to her apo form, I think.

I don't think she was that much taller than Katharine before (though she was taller) - notice that when she swoops Katharine up and flies away with her, her total length doesn't seem to be nearly twice Katharine's, which it does in the current page.

Yes, indeed. Much larger, as evidenced by her hulkified attire. I wonder though, could her increased size and wingspan be an indication of her having just reached a new level in the physical maturity of her species? Sort of like getting that first period, but more impressive and less yucky. Perhaps another reason for her elation at the end.

As DilyV first mentioned, tossing Atsali in the pit to retrieve Kath's footwear would be the thing do do now. I know I would. Assuming there is a bottom within a reasonable travel time that is. What would be fortuitous, however, would be if she came back with more than just the boots. I'm not sure what, since anything already down there before the great fall-apart would be buried now. Anyway, it's not likely to be a submarine.

And, Kath's smile has not been all that heartwarming even in the best of circumstances.

[zachariah]

\
Interesting... I'd forgotten that. I wonder what her condition is?

Not OCD, like Becky, I would think. Nor does she seem to have the sort of insensitivity to other peoples' emotions and signals which would suggest Asperger's or another autism-spectrum disorder such as Brandi seems to have. If anything she might be over-sensitive to such things, leading her to withdraw from intensity and rejection.

She seems much too "together" to be fighting schizophrenia (a horrid malady indeed, both for the sufferer and his/her family and friends). Her conversations with Oscar could be delusional... but somehow I doubt it... any fish which can fart as loudly as he does, is more than just an ordinary fish!

Depression or agoraphobia, perhaps? I can't recall whether the DSM lists a specific diagnosis for "reclusive and socially awkward"? I'll have to ask my wife (an MFT) what might be the best "fit" for someone of Kath's characteristics.

Possibly panic attacks or fear of people. Staying at home and not interacting with others is the safe thing for her to do as she says. I suspect she's had a lot of help in dealing with it as she can go to work. But the way she hides in her office is a nice pointer. Agoraphobia would show a different behavior. Afraid to go outdoors or even of large rooms. Add in a large lack of self confidence and shyness and it kinda adds up.

[sheik]

Depression or agoraphobia, perhaps? I can't recall whether the DSM lists a specific diagnosis for "reclusive and socially awkward"? I'll have to ask my wife (an MFT) what might be the best "fit" for someone of Kath's characteristics.

Try Avoidant Personality Disorder, my personal problem.
For me it's a real chore to be social, in spite of my craving for company I normally live in an environment that resembles solitary confinement.
If this is Kathrine's problem she's got a better handle on it than I do.

[illiad]

Dave: a bit of research may help...
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apotropaism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apotropaic_magic

[MerchManDan]

Kath's smile has not been all that heartwarming even in the best of circumstances.

Granted, but in that instance she is actually smiling from delight. Here, it appears that some parts of her brain are busy screaming at some other parts of her brain.

Kath isn't smiling in that frame. She's baring her teeth.

Indeed. I had to lean back in my chair, the first time I saw that. Yikes.

[DilyV]

Kath's smile has not been all that heartwarming even in the best of circumstances.

Granted, but in that instance she is actually smiling from delight. Here, it appears that some parts of her brain are busy screaming at some other parts of her brain.

Kath isn't smiling in that frame. She's baring her teeth.

Indeed. I had to lean back in my chair, the first time I saw that. Yikes.

That look seems to be saying to Atsali... "Your turn..."

I'm with ya... YIKES!!!

[Dave]

Thank you for... well, not so much correcting me, but for educating me. I know something I didn't five minutes ago.

Quite welcome! I think it took me about four passes through all of the Wapsi strip archives before I had a fairly comfortable idea of who-was-whom and what-the-hell-is-going-on. It's fiercely complex and there are a lot of subtleties (and, probably, eight dozen sets of clues to the future that Pablo has dangled out in plain sight and nobody has picked up on yet).

Dave: a bit of research may help...
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apotropaism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apotropaic_magic

Thanks! That latter link is a very nice, broad overview to the whole subject.

My wife and I have traveled a fair bit over the past few years and have seen a few examples of this. In Turkey the blue "evil eye" beads are a very popular motif... although my understanding is that they are actually a "repel the evil eye" symbol, of a very phallic nature... think "end-on view".

We saw some very striking examples of sort of phallic apotropaic symbol-magic in Bhutan during a trip in 2005 - brilliantly whitewashed houses, brightly decorated with paintings of animals, birds, shrines, stars, and erect penises. Supposed to be good for repelling bad luck and envy from those who live in the household. As we drove around the countryside, my wife would call out "Penis house! Penis house! Stop!", jump out of the car, frame the best image she could get, and take a few pictures. Our guide and driver got a big kick out of this, and were willing to stop for her to take pictures wherever and whenever she wanted and to ask the local citizens to pose.

Here's one example - Not Suitable For Work in most Western countries, although the Bhutanese wouldn't even bat an eyelash at it.

Try Avoidant Personality Disorder, my personal problem.
For me it's a real chore to be social, in spite of my craving for company I normally live in an environment that resembles solitary confinement.
If this is Kathrine's problem she's got a better handle on it than I do.

Thanks - that seems like a good fit to what we have seen of Katherine's life. If that's the case, then the "meds" she refers to are probably SSRI antidepressants.

Sorry to hear that you're faced with this... it reads as one that isn't at all easy to get past. Best of luck to you!

[shadowinthelight]

Here's one example - Not Suitable For Work in most Western countries, although the Bhutanese wouldn't even bat an eyelash at it

I would love to hear the argument with an average American home owners association. "What do you mean I can't paint big penises on my house? Wouldn't warding away evil be good for property values?"

[MerchManDan]

Here's one example - Not Suitable For Work in most Western countries, although the Bhutanese wouldn't even bat an eyelash at it.

The artist even included the short & curlies. I'm....impressed?

[Atomic]

Lest we overlook the Romans, phallic symbols were common decorations for fertility and growth. For example, it was normal for bakers to have their ovens engraved with an erect penis, so the bread would rise!

Nope -- not trying for a Pun Jar (tm) entry -- just the facts, ma'am (and sir)!