Wdot wrote:I could be wrong, but I think
this was the last time seeing Monica's glyph.
There's a subtle difference between that glyph (which Jin said was Monica channeling Mayahuel's power) and the one she displayed today. In the "I won't let them" glyph, the central lighted circle is lower in position - it touches her eyes and doesn't appear to touch the outer circle at all. In today's glyph, the central circle rides higher, touches the outer circle (almost creating the appearance of a pair of horns) and doesn't come down quite to her eyes.
This might be trivial and irrelevant, or it might indicate a shift in her glyph and power - less "channeled Mayahuel" and more "Jaguar Woman" in her own right.
I also don't think Nudge is going to land in an innocuous place like the lake. I do think that this is what Nudge is aiming for to get Monica mad enough to use her power destructively. Nudge has the guts to "play" with a sphinx to help her. Monica is just as dangerous if not more... and she hasn't realized or completely processed the idea of it yet and it is essential that she does and soon. I'm sure Nudge is thinking, "This is gonna hurt!"
Agreed. My hunch is that Nudge went into this little interaction with her eyes wide open, knowing what she wanted to achieve and that it was going to require pain (on her own part as well as Monica's).
In a sense, what Nudge did is just the same thing as what Bud did... a punch straight to the heart. In Nudge's case, the "heart" is that of Monica's current self-image - it was an emotional punch rather than a physical one - but it was a directed form of violence nevertheless.
Nudge would not be an easy person to be around... not a comforting, supportive, low-drama, warm-fuzzy sort of friend! She doesn't "buy your bullshit", and she's willing to be harsh and confrontational in her attempts to snap you out of it. Her words would hurt, because they challenge your self-image and are deliberately aimed at some of your tenderest spots. She hears the words of fear about yourself, that sneak into your thoughts during the coldest and darkest hours of the night and which you try to bury and forget... and she throws those words right into your face, and dares you to prove her (and your own Doubt) wrong.
I can see why some forumites don't like her. I can certainly understand how her antics could have seriously cheesed off the sphinxes (I get the feeling that they don't have much sense of humor) and got her locked into the library, and then (when she escaped) pursued so avidly. Her tactics could backfire, causing a lot of personal pain to no benefit, if she were to misjudge a person's ability or willingness to reconsider themself.
Nevertheless, the more we see of her, the more I like her as a character. She's clearly capable of being gentle and supportive and compassionate, when that's called for (e.g. with Shelly, on the sunset hoodoo. and when she tried to cajole Monica into getting back in touch with Phix). When she feels that confronting somebody about their "self-story" is what's required, she seems willing to take what appear to be
very serious risks in order to do it (baiting Phix, "outing" Bia, and now goading Monica). She seems to respect the truth (both truth-of-facts, and being-true-to-your-self) and is willing to put herself on the line in support of it. Yet another of Pablo's characters of interesting complexity!
CraigR wrote:Wait a minute. What am I worried about? Based on my reading of Wapsi Square, actions with "permanent" consequences never happen in the present.
Medeia might differ with you on that. Granted, she's a redshirt rather than a regular cast member, but ne'ertheless...