Up Hill Battle 2014-07-09

[Julie]

Knowing and admiting that you have a problem is the first step to fixing it. The little fae has earned some of my respect back. Here's hoping that Atsali introduces her to the Jaguar Girl that she apparently didn't want to be tied to and that M helps her out somehow (though I think M still has some rage issues of her own to work on).

[GuySmiley]

I wonder if anyone has mentioned this new, uh, responsibility to Monica?

$10 says no. Considering the reaction she had when asked to talk to Atsali, who has the benefit of being family, I doubt she'd be too comfortable with helping out a stranger.

Plus, if anyone asked her ahead of time it would seem like a continuity error considering how things normally work in the paranormal/MIB/Wapsi world.

[Warrl]

Toward the end of lunch, after the conversation has moved on to other topics, Atsali turns to Cricket and says "Hey, are you available right after school?"

Cricket: "Yeah, why?"

Atsali: "I wanna try to put together a little trip I think you'll find interesting. Gotta make a phone call though. And it's too noisy in here. BRB."... "Yeah, meet me out front after school."

Later...

Atsali: "Hi, Aunt Monica. This is Cricket. Also known as Princess (etc)." (opens car door) "Cricket, get in front." (Atsali gets in back and they start out.)

Atsali: "So, Cricket, have you figured out what you're going to say when you find this... um.. Jaguar Girl?"

Cricket: "No. I've thought about it a bit."

Monica: "What do you need to talk to a Jaguar Girl about?"

(discussion follows)

Atsali: "Well, Cricket, I decided to change the challenges they gave you. You don't need to find the Jaguar Girl, you only need to talk to her."

Cricket: "What? You know her? When do I meet her?'

Atsali: "Oh, about... (looks at clock) fifteen minutes ago."

[Dave]

So it's the old: "It wasn't me it was my gossamer double who did it." routine.

Her troubles are only just beginning. The gossamers are going to sue her, for defamation of character. "Your Honor, she made us look like cheerleaders!"

[Yamara]

Interesting. Tartarus huh??? Greek one or Sinbad one? Either fits. Chaos or judgement deep in the pit. I suspect Cricket is a rally crazy even for a Fae. Whether she can be cured is another question.

Pretty sure this Tartarus is gonna be the Wapsi one. Somehow remember somebody muttering something about juvie hall . . .

What does that shot of Tina have to do with what happened to Georgette?

Well... Tina was affected deeply by Monica's handling of that, too...

http://wapsisquare.com/comic/something-is-up/

The Jaguar Girl is a Demon Shepherd. While (for all we know) Fae may be immune to demons, Callista has almost no control over her emotions, which is at least very very similar to being tormented by them.

Callista is being given a last chance, not because she's royalty, but because her contrition and desire for friendship has a sincere core. Choosing the tutelage of the Jaguar Girl over Tartarus sounds like the harder road, even to Callista. If so, good for her.

[txmystic]

First off, props to Berdine for being upfront and honest, while still telling Cricket her friendship can be earned.

Also, relief on some level that it was only gossamer cheerleaders, not the actual people (still very cringe-worthy though). I'm glad she's trying to be better, and hope the Jaguar girl can help.

[illiad]

I checked about Bia, and it seems she may still be on the island??? (she needs permission to go elsewhere...)

[My2Cents]

I checked about Bia, and it seems she may still be on the island??? (she needs permission to go elsewhere...)

From a perceived adult. Assuming that the perception is on Bia's part that may limit it to Phix and the GGs. Bia probably played a part in creating everyone else. Its very tough to accept your kids are functional adults.

[MerchManDan]

And Atsali is indeed unaware of "fisting;" thank Heaven for small miracles. Though hopefully one of the Cubs explains it to her, instead of her Googling it.

[Catawampus]

"I wanted to really do that to them, but I just couldn't." Couldn't due to ethical/moral considerations, or couldn't because of absolute limitations on her own powers? If it was due only to the former, then she really would be one of the most potentially dangerous paranormals around: it would imply that she has the ability to strongly mind-control multiple people simultaneously.

It makes a crazy kind of sense, since Monica has been having to deal with her own dark side lately. The Jaguar Girl can be, and perhaps is expected to be, somewhat of a sociopath under some circumstance. Both she, and Cricket have some work to do there, in learning to manage this aspect of their personalities.

Teaching something is often considered to be one of the best methods for learning that lesson yourself.

Interesting. Tartarus huh??? Greek one or Sinbad one?

Neither. The Wapsi Square version is a giant pit of mayonnaise-based sauce. Paranormals often go there when they need something to go on their fried fish.

I wonder if the Bruin sisters need mentors, too.

Perhaps Tina for Nadette?

Her troubles are only just beginning. The gossamers are going to sue her, for defamation of character. "Your Honor, she made us look like cheerleaders!"

She might accuse them of duplicity then.

[Sgt. Howard]

In the earliest story of "A better Life," a tweenaged male (Fisk- Main character) sends a love letter to a slightly older female student- her response is to point out an upperclassman jock type who she says will later "f#ck her brains out". Next thing we know, said boy asks Mom "What does f#ck my brains out mean?" and Mom spews her coffee all over the table... I am imagining Atsali asking Katherine "What does fisting mean?" and wondering how well Katherine will handle it... assuming she even knows what it means...
the Old Sgt.

[jwhouk]

Hey, Kath went to college.

[Dr. Otter]

Hey, Kath went to college.

I went to college and Med School, but I never heard of fisting until long, long after that, and then it was in an article in the Archives of Forensic Pathology describing death of a woman due to fisting. Y'know, maybe I ran with a boring crowd, but it just doesn't come up that often.

[Grantwhy]

Well... Tina was affected deeply by Monica's handling of that, too...

http://wapsisquare.com/comic/something-is-up/

The Jaguar Girl is a Demon Shepherd. While (for all we know) Fae may be immune to demons, Callista has almost no control over her emotions, which is at least very very similar to being tormented by them.

Callista is being given a last chance, not because she's royalty, but because her contrition and desire for friendship has a sincere core. Choosing the tutelage of the Jaguar Girl over Tartarus sounds like the harder road, even to Callista. If so, good for her.

Well, if knowledge of Monica's treatment of the Tar (and ?satisfaction? at said treatment) has gotten out (via demons talking?), I would not be surprised if 'The Jaguar Girl' is considered by Calista as the *MUCH* worse option as punishment for her crime.

"I wanted to really do that to them, but I just couldn't." Couldn't due to ethical/moral considerations, or couldn't because of absolute limitations on her own powers? If it was due only to the former, then she really would be one of the most potentially dangerous paranormals around: it would imply that she has the ability to strongly mind-control multiple people simultaneously.

I'm hoping it was due to ethics/morals. It suggests there that not only does Calista *know* the difference between right and wrong, and that she (at some level) want to *not* be an 'Evil %*%#^ Queen'.

Yes what she did was evil (That she knows it and seems to regret(?) her actions is a good sign for her potential character development), but she did [hopefully] choose the 'lesser' of two evil acts, despite every fibre of her body (and family tradition/honour?) demanding a worse revenge?



Hmmm .... late night + early coffee (with Baileys ) = over-thinking on my part


ohhh .....

• Calista: "I locked tha cheerleaders in tha town room, then made gossamer versions of them. I sent them out on the gym floor, had them get everyone's attention, then I used them to humiliate them tha way they humiliated me!"

Did Calista over-react or did the cheerleaders do something more that just reveal Calista friends were imaginary?

[Sgt. Howard]

Calista, a feisty young fey
got a burr up her fanny one day,
she copied cheerleaders
and had them do squealers
while fisting the daisychain way... oooooh..... that was sick even by MY standards... and I'm from Californicatia...
the Old (and slightly embarrassed) Sgt.

[jwhouk]

You know, I wonder if the "fisting" reference and the fact that there was apparently a DDoS against Pablo's site are related...

[Dave]

Well, if knowledge of Monica's treatment of the Tar (and ?satisfaction? at said treatment) has gotten out (via demons talking?), I would not be surprised if 'The Jaguar Girl' is considered by Calista as the *MUCH* worse option as punishment for her crime.

I'm also wondering whether (or to what extent) Calista's arrival, and apparent assignment as a second junior-padawan-in-training (Atsali being the first), may not be somebody's manipulative attempt to push Monica more firmly into the role of "responsible paranormal". Her public acting-out (with Shelly) got her a chewing-out... so maybe this arrival of another mentor-ee is a very deliberate setup?

In other words, perhaps "this stinks of Phix". Phix is still Monica's teacher, it seems, and may have decided that her student needs a practicum.

Did Calista over-react or did the cheerleaders do something more that just reveal Calista friends were imaginary?

I suspect that it was how they revealed this, that was the issue.

The cheerleader(s) could have gone to Calista in private and quietly pointed out that the illusion wasn't working, and suggested that she have her gossamer "friends" take a leave of absence before their nature was publicly known. No emnity, no humiliation, and hence very probably no backlash.

I'm guessing that they did the more usual thing - started passing the word around, in a sniggering-laugh "Did you hear what that loser did?!" kind of way, deliberately setting out to make her into a laughing-stock. They might have been envious of her status as royalty, and set out to make her look like a fool to "take her down a few pegs". Deliberate, intentional humiliation. Not quite as physically brutal as the "invite Carrie to the ball, then dump a bucket of blood over her head" humiliation, perhaps, but it probably hurt just about as much.

[DilyV]

Calista, a feisty young fey
got a burr up her fanny one day,
she copied cheerleaders
and had them do squealers
while fisting the daisychain way... oooooh..... that was sick even by MY standards... and I'm from Californicatia...
the Old (and slightly embarrassed) Sgt.

You can't sing that cadence anymore!!! It's forbidden in this wussified military. LOL

[Mark N]

Calista, a feisty young fey
got a burr up her fanny one day,
she copied cheerleaders
and had them do squealers
while fisting the daisychain way... oooooh..... that was sick even by MY standards... and I'm from Californicatia...
the Old (and slightly embarrassed) Sgt.

You can't sing that cadence anymore!!! It's forbidden in this wussified military. LOL

So they have stopped using limerick based marching cadence in the military?

[AnotherFairportfan]

You know, I wonder if the "fisting" reference and the fact that there was apparently a DDoS against Pablo's site are related...

When was the DDOS attack? How long did it last?