Wapsi Square Forum

Opus the Poet wrote:

Warrl wrote:Calista, the pun jar is beckoning...

Not for the characters, they don't get to choose the words in their mouths. Besides there is a wall between them and the Jar, the 4th wall...

That would explain why the fourth is with her!

shadowinthelight wrote:Calista can't be all bad with a pun like that. Or does that make her worse?

Depends on the scale of her punnage: if that was the sole pun, then everything will be going swimmingly. But if she leaves everybody in the plaice floundering away in a sea of piscine puns just for the halibut, then folks might start carping about the constant codswallop. One man's fish is another man's poisson, after all.

scantrontb wrote:YEP!, that just set the tone that i thought was gonna have happen... Cricket scared Jessie and Krystal, and they are NOT going to like having their reactions shown to the REST of the cafeteria like that... so now they'll be gunning for Cricket in all those Teenager-Angst-fueled ways they have of showing their disapproval of BS like that... and if it happens to hurt Atsali at the same time it hits Cricket... Oh well, an acceptable loss, no biggie, the favor she did Jessie has long since been repaid with her clandestine protection of Atsali and can be dropped now.

Or this will be an opportunity for Atsali to "help keep an eye on" Calista, as she told Monica she would do, and step in to defuse the situation by reminding Calista of what Monica said about being too violent.

KnightDelight wrote:And did the others just walk away from the area not even wondering what happened to Cricket? Just leaving her lying on the floor, all banged up? I know she's small, but she was, after all, the center of attention in all that transpired just before.

I expect that they're just offscreen, still reacting to the combination of Monica's visit and Castela's fussing. Calista getting flattened only just happened a second or two ago, after all, so they might not have had time to notice. Even if they have noticed, they might not have had time to move into our field of view to check on the flattened fae.

Atsali and the twins don't strike me as the type who would act shellfishly, after all, so they're probably not just intentionally ignoring Calista's problems.

Actually, given the princess's introduction, I suspect the mermaids' reaction is "Someone beat her? Who should we be terrified of?" That may take a bit of straightening out.

"Hey, anyone can be knocked over if taken by surprise; don't look so shocked. And I bounce right back. And I'm not gonna take it out on a kid who was just a bit clumsy. Ya gotta problem wit' any of that?"

Dave wrote:

Aed wrote: Little trucks!?

Chirping and tweeting ones, no doubt!

Heh, constantly backing up around your brain. Love it. Yes, that would be the railyards and warehouses of Queens and Bklyn for ya.


"Be Safe Be Respectful"

"If You See Something, Ya SHUT YA DAMN MOUTH"

scantrontb wrote:YEP!, that just set the tone that i thought was gonna have happen... Cricket scared Jessie and Krystal, and they are NOT going to like having their reactions shown to the REST of the cafeteria like that... so now they'll be gunning for Cricket in all those Teenager-Angst-fueled ways they have of showing their disapproval of BS like that... and if it happens to hurt Atsali at the same time it hits Cricket... Oh well, an acceptable loss, no biggie, the favor she did Jessie has long since been repaid with her clandestine protection of Atsali and can be dropped now.

But don't forget, Fae are apparently REALLY near the top of the food chain in the paranormal world, AND known psychopaths. Teenagers routinely do dangerous things without considering the risk - Ms. Head Cheerleader from Cricket's former school shows that - but Gottlieb seems smarter than that. And being afraid of an angry Cricket doesn't seem like a status destroyer... More like rational self-preservation. And let us not forget, Gottlieb now knows the nerd is the surrogate niece of the Jaguar Girl, an even MORE terrifying paranormal. It is more possible she'll try to cultivate Atsali - AND Cricket - for the prestige boost that would give.

Hopefully 'Sali is too mature for that to work. And will be able to keep friend-hungry Cricket from falling for the scam.

KnightDelight wrote:So, where are her antenna in the first two frames? And did the others just walk away from the area not even wondering what happened to Cricket? Just leaving her lying on the floor, all banged up? I know she's small, but she was, after all, the center of attention in all that transpired just before. Also, apparently Cricket knows what Krystal and Jessie actually are. I wonder if she has heard about them before, or is she able to see through their "glamor?"

I think the Bruin sisters have their backs to Cricket and are blocking Atsali's view. And of course, Castela is now the (loud) center of attention. They may not have realized the Princess has been flattened. And, don't forget, Atsali did the 'fist like a hammer' bit to Calista already, and knows the little Fae can bounce back from a pounding. Still, I suspect she'll get some friendly support, soon.

The more I look at page the stronger feeling I get that when G'ma Lilly said that she had a feeling of omnipotence from her adoptive grand critter Castilla, that feeling was not just because she was just potentially more powerful than her. This is looking like little Pickle may become relatively unstoppable in the future. She may not even be mortal.

This page is also making me think that Jessie's reaction yesterday was not due to finding out about Atsali's family, but because she was scared to find out what ran over a Fey and lived.

eee wrote: And let us not forget, Gottlieb now knows the nerd is the surrogate niece of the Jaguar Girl, an even MORE terrifying paranormal. It is more possible she'll try to cultivate Atsali - AND Cricket - for the prestige boost that would give.

Hopefully 'Sali is too mature for that to work. And will be able to keep friend-hungry Cricket from falling for the scam.

On the other hand... Euryale suggested that Gotlieb has already put herself in Atsali's camp to some extent, acting as an honorable ally, as a way of returning the favor Atsali did her during the swimming-pool incident. This probably wasn't something which would have gained Gotlieb any status among the snooty-nosed set... she would have been giving to the chance to gossip about Atsali in a "catty" way, and might even have stifled others in her clique when they made nasty remarks about the "slutty Siren". She seems to get the whole "fair is fair" idea.

Continuing in the same way, towards Atsali and her new "circle", might be the smart thing for Gotlieb to do. An attitude of honest (yet somehat distant) respect and a "nonaggression treaty" might come across better than false friendship or fawning.

Wyvern wrote:

Dave wrote:Fruit juices of various sorts, milk (cow, goat, and unicorn), mineral water (still, bubbly, caffeinated, and sacred-spring), ambrosia, blood, [...], essence of wilvert, and so forth. You know, the usual stuff. Probably no beer, unless they have clurichauns in school this year.

And if they have even one clurichaun, there won't be any beer in the building!

Unless Tepoz got a job in the school cafeteria. . .(or the teachers lounge)

KnightDelight wrote:. . . apparently Cricket knows what Krystal and Jessie actually are. I wonder if she has heard about them before, or is she able to see through their "glamor?"

For some reason I am reminded of this

Catawampus wrote: Depends on the scale of her punnage: if that was the sole pun, then everything will be going swimmingly. But if she leaves everybody in the plaice floundering away in a sea of piscine puns just for the halibut, then folks might start carping about the constant codswallop. One man's fish is another man's poisson, after all.

Oy, now I have a haddock after reading that. Kip Addotta called - they want their routine back.

TlalocW

Her Royalty might have pegged the Mermaids just from smell, come to think of it. Either fish, or like Kramer's idea for a cologne that smells like you just came from the beach.

I think Ms G needs time to process the idea that some very rowdy folk are starting to gather about Atsali, not the least of which are Cricket, and kid sister Castela the Pickle Express.

Mark N wrote:The more I look at page the stronger feeling I get that when G'ma Lilly said that she had a feeling of omnipotence from her adoptive grand critter Castilla, that feeling was not just because she was just potentially more powerful than her. This is looking like little Pickle may become relatively unstoppable in the future. She may not even be mortal.

Phix ID'd her as mortal. She could be outright mistaken; didn't look like she was in the mood to be prevaricating.

I suspect Pickle is one of the Nu Gui's... "branching out" projects.

Kind of like what Sauron did with the Entwives kind of thing.

Is it possible that Jessie and Krystal know Cricket from the incident at the other school and thus already have a reason to fear her?

txmystic wrote:Is it possible that Jessie and Krystal know Cricket from the incident at the other school and thus already have a reason to fear her?

Yeah, I was thinking. Cricket's reaction in panel 2 suggests she recognizes them, too.

txmystic wrote:Is it possible that Jessie and Krystal know Cricket from the incident at the other school and thus already have a reason to fear her?

Might be direct personal knowledge, or it might be just by reputation.

There's no question that between her ability to punch out a full-sized paranormal student, and the stunt she pulled off with gossamer images at the pep rally, she'd be known for possessing the "fist of doom".

txmystic wrote:Is it possible that Jessie and Krystal know Cricket from the incident at the other school and thus already have a reason to fear her?

That would be classic. The cheerleaders move to a new school to get away from their false reputation (denials never catch up to juicy stories/rumors) and start their lives over, only to find their antagonist (Calista) has been sent there as well.

If so, Calista apologizing to them is going to be one of her lessons/tasks to be set by Monica. That will probably be traumatic for all of them.

My2Cents wrote:

txmystic wrote:Is it possible that Jessie and Krystal know Cricket from the incident at the other school and thus already have a reason to fear her?

That would be classic. The cheerleaders move to a new school to get away from their false reputation (denials never catch up to juicy stories/rumors) and start their lives over, only to find their antagonist (Castela) has been sent there as well.

If so, Castela apologizing to them is going to be one of her lessons/tasks to be set by Monica. That will probably be traumatic for all of them.

Make an effort.
Calista is the fister.
Castela is the stomper.

I do get annoyed when authors give characters similar names. Ideally each character gets not merely a distinctive name, but a distinctive *first syllable* as well. Unless the author actually intends to create name-confusion for some specific reason, and it had better be a darn good one.

There's another comic I read where there are two sisters, Maggie and Maddie. (Fortunately they are several years apart in age, very distinct in appearance, and were not introduced anywhere near the same time.)

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Atsali plucks Calista off the floor, looks at her, and says "A very battered-looking fae, I think. Perhaps they were about to ask if you need some help. Do you?"

C: "No. We fae are tough."

A: "Not so tough you can afford to offend everyone who might be a friend. So why don't you apologize for yelling at them like that? They didn't deserve it."

C: (makes something that bears a weak resemblance to an apology)

A: (sets her down on a bench/stool/whatever) "We'll work on that later. Put your glamour back on and I'll introduce you."

Castela: "Oh, what a cute dol - hey, you got bigger than me! Not fair!"

...aaaaaaand Jessie meets her match... LOL