Standing Her Ground 2013-01-15

[Smallfoot]

In which two characters lose their heads.

[nerf-dweller]

I guess Monica got here wish. She's now just another faceless body in the crowd.

[zachariah]

Is this remake of the movie face off? Or is it Star Trek-Face the Final Frontier.

[themadkansan]

Hooooo-boy. When M comes back up from =that= one, She Is Going To Be PISSED.

...wouldn't surprise me to see her come up swinging, either.

[scantrontb]

Doesn't Phix know it's impolite to deface other people's property?

not quite, i think you have it wrong there... it should say "...deface other PEOPLE..." and just stop...

was Phix actually AROUND when the Library did the status upgrade probe on Monica?... i don't think so, otherwise why would M have run around the library on all fours looking for her?, Phix never saw the speech impediment scene, nor the dark circles under the eyes effect of her powers... all she saw was Monica Poit into the Library, sobbing about how she "killed" Nudge and that she's a monster, etc, etc.. then they got Nudge out of the cooled lava and they all fell asleep... the next morning, Phix went out to do Phixy things, and later Monica woke up to the probe...

SO, that probably means that Phix does NOT know of the upgrade, and is currently in a blind rage at the effrontery of how not just one, but TWO "shitty insect" Vampires are sullying her pristine Library with their presence... and it looks like she basically forgot that Monica was there in her rush to kill off the offending vamps... and tomorrow we will see Phix do the OMFG "I" killed Monica... "I'M A MONSTER!!" dance, after all those years of maturing (i can't find the comic but it's WAAAYYY back when she's talking to her self about not liking her old self, as she's walking past her wall-of-skulls to get some tea), she falls back into the "Kill first, ask questions later... if i feel like it" mode of thought... (and THIS is what she meant about Nudge playing in traffic, and oh yeah "go ahead, get between a Sphinx and her Prey") they blank out ANYTHING between them and the prey, and if that something seems to get in their way (like M just did) then swipe it off the face of the earth and continue the stalking... yep, just what happened here. and just like her at the window when Nudge jumped out, were going to get a bit of "satisfied smirk" snapping into "horrified, OMG what did i DO" (remember she doesn't know about the upgrade yet) THEN Phix is going to flip out when Monica self resurrects herself... and i think the circles under M's eyes and body language just prior was the readers indication that M has accepted the fact that she will probably get killed here in the next few seconds... as she did... and was marshaling her nerve to NOT poit away like she's already proven she can, (volcano and WW2 sea mine, anyone?)

OOHH! this is getting good.... well, better anyways, as it was ALREADY really good beforehand...

EDIT: i just thought of this... if Phix still thinks that Monica is a mortal human... is some sort of automatic punishment going to happen... possibly due to this: (panel two) combined with her previous punishment from the CM arc, afterwards where she showed up and met M's Boss... she said that she had lifted some of her self-imposed restrictions... I'm assuming that she may think she's going to get slammed by her superiors for accidentally killing a "human"... and the ones that are NOT her friends (like Medea) won't bother to tell her that Monica isn't classified as a human anymore, but rather as a Sub-Titan... and thus will let Phix go into a self-punishment mode and let her self-administered-punishment commence just for S & G's... though, that'll all fall apart as soon as she regenerates... oh, well nice theory shot down, even as i thought it up, hah!...

[Dave]

I'm... Not entirely sure how Phix thought this was the right thing to do after trying to get Monica to come to terms with herself, and also likely trust everyone again.

Oh yeah -- that's where I am too.

1. Monica decamped to the library to confess to "killing" Nudge.
2. Nudge, Tsillah, Euryale, and Phix reveal Monica's uber-being status and approve.
3. M takes a nap.
4. Tsillah decamps to the outside world and brings back Pratt and McBride to meet Monica.
5. Phix goes on the attack.

Ok - so Phix certainly knows M is functionally immortal. Likewise, she's in her library and so can't be harmed.

... while she's here in the Library. As far as we know, Librarian immunity doesn't apply outside the Library turf.

Phix is now in mortal danger of once again being exiled to the Library, shortly after she (finally) finished serving time for the results of her earlier short-tempered hissy-fit. Last time, she tore up a book, and it cost her umpty-thousand years of duty. Now, within a matter of weeks, she had punched out a Titan (who by her own comments she probably could not have fought successfully outside the Library), and skullshredded a regenerating subTitan who already considered her dangerous and who very probably has the power to kill her if she's off the Library grounds.

If Phix can't "make good" with Monica very quickly and very thoroughly, she may never be able to visit Earth again, and could be in real danger anywhere outside the Library. That short temper will get her into real trouble, one of these years.

Since PW is not one to use gratuitous gore, this event must be a setup for some plot reveal. Phix backstory perhaps? Forcing Monica to move beyond her tentative acceptance of Jaguar Girl status, such as by generating an attack/retaliation against Phix? Forcing the Vamps to do something to/for Monica (healing?) and reveal their nature?

Going to be an interesting week, folks. Get out your marshmallows -- the Astral Fire is just about ready!

Yeah, something serious really must be up with Phix. I agree, having this be another bit of the "dragging Monica out of self-denial" process doesn't seem to fit. Doing that, right now, would seem unnecessary after the big Nudge drama recently, Monica would surely resent such further manipulation, and it's just so bloody excessive (or excessively bloody). Phix really does seem to have slipped a cam (again).

It surely does feel as if Brandi's manipulations are involved somehow, as she was clearly involved in setting up the vampires to visit the Library and encounter Phix. Wizard chess, with Pratt and McBride as pawns... and I think Monica has been royally rooked.

Yes, it's going to be a very interesting week. Not what I was expecting... I had truly thought Phix would back off.

Is this remake of the movie face off? Or is it Star Trek-Face the Final Frontier.

Phix knows that Monica has some body-image issues, but was very reluctant to address them with cosmetic surgery. So, she decided to reward Monica for having come out of denial, by performing a free surprise nose job.

Overdid it a bit, though.

[scantrontb]

you know i just had a strange thought... we know that Tina was produced (reborn, whatever), when all her Demons were left behind after her soul departed from the organic body that is Tina, right?... what if Vampires are just the OPPOSITE?! meaning the DEMONS LEFT (for whatever reason: tbd), and only the human SOUL is remaining in the body?! and all the vampiric biting is an attempt to regain the link the soul had with the demons by trying to force one of the demons from another persons body, back into the vamps body via something akin to how Jin's and Monica's Doubt Demons ?first? met...

[Ohnhai]

<ping> (mon regenerates) cracks her knuckles "right! MY TURN"

We've seen Phix dish it out, but can she take it? Because I do belive she is due a hefty dose of smack-down.

The question remains will Mon be enraged enough to loose the GGG?


Bad kitty! bad BAD kitty!!!!

[Jay-Em]

Auwtchie!

I wonder if this would piss M off enough to poit Phix out of the library and give her the wuppin' of a life-time( like: poit up "poof", poit down
"slam", poit up "poof", poit down "slam" etc, etc., or drill Phix into the ground like a pneumatic hammer. poiting could accomplish that quite well if executed in very quick succession. Think The Hulk contra Loki, but without actual physical contact ). I think it's about time Mrs Phix gets a proverbial slap over the head with a rolled-up newspaper. Her "beasty-ness" is starting to grate.

It worked miracles for our cats.

Oh, wait, I just realized there is no momentum involved in poiting, and Phix can fly, so dropping from a height would not work. Shame.
Back to shredding claws and such, and if the "Jaguar"in "Jaguar-Girl" is for real, then Phix is in for a whupping of a life-time.

[Jay-Em]

<ping> (mon regenerates) cracks her knuckles "right! MY TURN"

We've seen Phix dish it out, but can she take it? Because I do belive she is due a hefty dose of smack-down.

The question remains will Mon be enraged enough to loose the GGG?


Bad kitty! bad BAD kitty!!!!

Orrr.. we get an extremely distraught Phix, not realizing M's Phoenix-powers, going completely catatonic, or breaking down bad, or something.
Until now I have not seen any indication that Phix is aware of how fár the changes in Monica go, her neigh Titan status and whatnot.

Orr it'll be just Monica, after re-generation- going "Sheesh, not again! I'd rather have the occasional snow-attack than this. Snow doesn't hurt as much"

Praise our luck it's not Friday....

[s-o]

On the positive side, she did get rid of those fangs. Her speech should be much clearer now

[NOTDilbert]

Wow.

Not so much disturbed, as moved. She could have poited away, poited Phix away, poited the vampires and Tsillah out of the way - or any combo - but she 'threw herself on the grenade' as it were. She knew the above choices would not break Phix's rage; only the shock of not being able to pull an already thrown strike and hitting a friend would shut her down.

And - I've missed before when swatting at insects, but I NEVER ACCIDENTALLY RIPPED A BYSTANDER'S FACE OFF. Measured response, girl. Jeez.

[Dave]

Oh, wait, I just realized there is no momentum involved in poiting, and Phix can fly, so dropping from a height would not work. Shame.

Actually, poiting must have some sort of momentum effect! If you simply teleported from (e.g.) Minneapolis to Cairo, and retained your original Minneapolis velocity vector, then on arrival you would find yourself moving sideways and upwards with respect to your surroundings at many miles per hour due to the Earth's rotation. Poiting must somehow be adjusting your velocity to match your target's current motion... a very significant expenditure of energy.

Similarly, after poiting Shelly, Nudge, and Tina miles into the air and letting them fall for the duration of at least one sentence of exposition (picking up velocity) and then poiting them back, they did not collide with the floor of Mucho Mocha at 60 miles an hour or so... the momentum of their fall "went somewhere else".

So, there is at least the possibility that a poiter could give themselves (or a victim) a velocity vector which is not that of the surroundings into which they are poited. A poiter might be able to be a Flinger.

[Yamara]

She could have poited away, poited Phix away, poited the vampires and Tsillah out of the way - or any combo - but she 'threw herself on the grenade' as it were. She knew the above choices would not break Phix's rage; only the shock of not being able to pull an already thrown strike and hitting a friend would shut her down.

And - I've missed before when swatting at insects, but I NEVER ACCIDENTALLY RIPPED A BYSTANDER'S FACE OFF. Measured response, girl. Jeez.

If Phix really wanted to kill the vampires, Mon's little poiting bod was hardly in the way: One swipe would have sufficed for them all, or Phix could have swung around her with her tail or something. Phix had the power and precision to knock Nudge out of Tina's body without harming it or the demons inside. So this is training day for Jaguar Kitten.

Lesson #1: You Are Not The Tank.
Had this been an actual assault on two friendly vampires, your actions would not have saved them. Please use other tactics in the future.



Now watch Paul kill off Pratt & McBride in tomorrow's panel one. "You'll love it!" said DEATH'S DAUGHTER.

[Ohnhai]

Wow.

Not so much disturbed, as moved. She could have poited away, poited Phix away, poited the vampires and Tsillah out of the way - or any combo - but she 'threw herself on the grenade' as it were. She knew the above choices would not break Phix's rage; only the shock of not being able to pull an already thrown strike and hitting a friend would shut her down.

And - I've missed before when swatting at insects, but I NEVER ACCIDENTALLY RIPPED A BYSTANDER'S FACE OFF. Measured response, girl. Jeez.

There is something to that. It definately seemed like she did see it comming and decided to take it. (hence title of the comic.?)

I wonder what Phix's worst fear is?.........

[Wyvern]

...i can't find the comic but it's WAAAYYY back when she's talking to her self about not liking her old self, as she's walking past her wall-of-skulls to get some tea...

The wall of skulls first appears in http://wapsisquare.com/comic/monsteriwas/ - 9 Feb 2007.

[KnightDelight]

Thanks for the warning. Not that it stopped me, but it's a good practice.

I'm not sure about this. My first thought is that Monica was just in the way. But then, she would not have had time to react before being defaced. The comic shows she is reacting so the blow must not be coming at typical sphinxy warp speed. In the first panel, she seems to be thinking "I mean, Stop ... please?" In the third, "This is gonna hurt, isn't it?"

I also wonder if the Vamps are reacting as in "OMFG! Did you see what she just did to the Demon Shepherd!? What the hell will she do to US!?" or are they seeing something else? Such as Phix hesitating right now. Something not normally seen in a Sphinx at full bloodlust attack mode. Or, maybe tomorrow we'll see Phix say "Tag! You're it!" Then Monica will regenerate and yell "Booby wonder twin powers, UNITE!" A Jaguar-sphinx chase then commences, further blowing the minds of the poor vampires.

[My2Cents]

Entities conspicuously missing in this scene:

• Tsillah – She set this confrontation in motion by bringing the vamps into the Library, but has been missing since Phix hit the floor. Why?
• Brandi, aka ‘The Chess Master’ – Tsillah and the vamp’s boss. Claims to be capable of tricking you into cutting your own throat. Could this be her doing? And if so, why?

Of course, Monica could finish her resurrection as early as tomorrows strip. Probably more than a bit angry at Phix. Could get interesting.

Phix: You can’t hurt me we are in the Library.
Monica: (poit) We aren’t in the Library.

You know, we have never seen Phix poit? We know that Nudge can’t, yet she showed up a Tina’s coffee shop that time walking through the snow. Could it be Phix can’t poit either, and just uses portals like the Steven’s Street door to get to Earth? If Monica poits her to say the middle of Antarctica, it could be a long slow trip back.

[Geezer]

Uhhhh...

Self-realization is a wonderful thing. So is self-effacement.

In this case, there's another agent. Phix' motives for me are unclear at this point. A midweek cliff-hanger - thanks, Paul!

That's gonna leave a mark - because Monica will remember, and there will be blood.

[Prester Fred]

Monica appears in a column of flame and glares at Phix.

"Do you have...any idea...how much that stings!?"