Imagining Things 2013-04-10

[ChattaStarhawk]

Another random thought: Had this stargate ever been active before, or was this the first (and possibly only) time it has been used?

[Sphinx-Napped]

The instant somebody says "I don't know what you're talking about." is a dead giveaway that shit ain't kosher and somebody knows more than they're letting on.

That's how long time partners wind up staring at one another down the barrel of their guns.

that and the fact her eyes are now have now no pupils to them which would mean she either been taken over by something or some one, and or my favorite a changeling has taken her place quick where nudge or any other demon /gods that can change shape

[Dave]

The instant somebody says "I don't know what you're talking about." is a dead giveaway that shit ain't kosher and somebody knows more than they're letting on.

That's how long time partners wind up staring at one another down the barrel of their guns.

that and the fact her eyes are now have now no pupils to them which would mean she either been taken over by something or some one, and or my favorite a changeling has taken her place quick where nudge or any other demon /gods that can change shape

Ummm... no, I don't think so. No possession. No changeling. Nothing so exotic. She simply has her eyes closed.

In yesterday's final panel, you can see that she has prominent upper eyelashes but is drawn with no lower eyelashes at all (which is how Paul usually draws the Wapsi women, I believe). In today's final panel, there are no eyelashes at the top of her eyes, but prominent ones at the bottom. Hence, she's simply dropped her eyelids over her eyes.

As I commented this morning, I think this is a very clear psychological "tell" - it's a body-language give-away that what she's saying is false. She also seems to be canting her chin up and head backwards very slightly... another body-language clue.

[zachariah]

As I commented this morning, I think this is a very clear psychological "tell" - it's a body-language give-away that what she's saying is false. She also seems to be canting her chin up and head backwards very slightly... another body-language clue.

I would be careful of humanizing the drawings to much. These are images Paul drew to show what is happening and putting in physical subtle clues like a tell in an image is difficult and a hard practice to maintain. He would need to keep track of them and use them consistently to maintain the character he draws. Following that course would greatly increase the complexity of drawing them and insuring the tells are always used. While a real person would be that way expecting it from a drawn image is a bit much. A large physical tell that is a identifying characteristic would be used smaller ones would be a hassle. For example with Tina each Demon has different eyes as they come to the front but not much else changes.

[sheik]

I have to wonder here... no one was watching the Helicopters? Pilots normally don't get too far away from their aircraft... unless they are in a completely secure area... not to mention the fact that a starting helicopter is a pretty long and drawn out affair... and loud. Could Atsali have sung her siren's song to the crews to get them to the edge of the crater and keep them captivated until she could abscond with the MiB's defensive protection and destroy their means of escape?

As far as Lily goes... I think Director Brandi briefed her on a lot more info than we've seen in the strip... Knowledge that Lily carries, knowing that a failure of this magnitude will not go well for her. Her anger is both right and wrong. Right because gee Mister pilots... why weren't you at your helicopters... guarding them or sumpin'? Wrong because the conduct of the mission is always the responsibility of the mission commander. Success or failure, it falls on the commander.

I also agree that the team was enroute when Kath arrived at the Library... A lot of things being put into motion at the same time unbeknownst to all parties involved...

I'll have to second this motion in light of the Dead Sea Debacle.
The only thing I could think of that would allow the crews to be so confident, in spite of the obvious occupational hazards in their line of work, is that they thought their rides were safe because of the considerable expanse of barren real estate in every direction that they saw coming in, and it never occurred to anyone that the people they were sent to assist would actually be saboteurs.
BTW when I say barren I mean of mammalian life. The Apache in particular has thermal imaging equipment that can pick up a warm body at considerable distance.

[Dave]

As I commented this morning, I think this is a very clear psychological "tell" - it's a body-language give-away that what she's saying is false. She also seems to be canting her chin up and head backwards very slightly... another body-language clue.

I would be careful of humanizing the drawings to much. These are images Paul drew to show what is happening and putting in physical subtle clues like a tell in an image is difficult and a hard practice to maintain.

On the second "tell" (head raised and back) I agree - it's subtle and I may very well be reading more into a drawing variation than is reasonable.

On the first - eyes-closed-while-denying-that-she-knows-what-Suzi-is-talking-about - this one I'm pretty sure of. It's far from being a subtle change in her appearance, and it's not (I think) a variation in her behavior we've seen depicted before. I can't see any other reasonable "in context" reason why she'd suddenly close her eyes so blatantly, right in the middle of a heated conversation. It really does look as if there's something that pushed her buttons, and that she doesn't want to admit to or talk about... so she tries to deceive.

As to what it might be... well, wild-speculation time! We now know on good authority that in the Wapsiverse, becoming a vampire doesn't (or doesn't necessarily) require being bitten by an existing vampire. Rather, it's the experience of dying alone, unloved, rejected, and in despair which acts as the trigger. This would tend to leave the resulting vampires as beings who would be walking around in the world with more than a usual load of painful emotional baggage... things that they find distressing to remember or talk about. As Zathras said about himself, "Very sad life. Probably have very sad death. But, at least there is symmetry."

This leads me to suspect that this situation, which has apparently poked some sort of sore spot in Lily's psyche and memories, may somehow resemble the events which lead up to her death. Possibly she was something like an refugee in a war zone, fleeing abuse and trying to escape, who died as "collateral damage" from some sort of careless military Charlie Foxtrot?

That's a stretch but it's the best I can come up with right now. The truth is probably even stranger.

[OneOddDuck]

(Pablo - type on the bottom left panel. 'Fifity' instead of fifty.)

*tiptoes back to the understairs*

[kingklash]

As long as they've been MiBs, and they still don't realize that there's no such things as regular people in their world?

[Graybeard]

So what happened to Suzie's usual P&C complexion?

[Fairportfan]

As long as they've been MiBs, and they still don't realize that there's no such things as regular people in their world?

Wapsi time, i think they've been with the MIB about a week or so.

[zachariah]

As I commented this morning, I think this is a very clear psychological "tell" - it's a body-language give-away that what she's saying is false. She also seems to be canting her chin up and head backwards very slightly... another body-language clue.

I would be careful of humanizing the drawings to much. These are images Paul drew to show what is happening and putting in physical subtle clues like a tell in an image is difficult and a hard practice to maintain.

On the second "tell" (head raised and back) I agree - it's subtle and I may very well be reading more into a drawing variation than is reasonable.

On the first - eyes-closed-while-denying-that-she-knows-what-Suzi-is-talking-about - this one I'm pretty sure of. It's far from being a subtle change in her appearance, and it's not (I think) a variation in her behavior we've seen depicted before. I can't see any other reasonable "in context" reason why she'd suddenly close her eyes so blatantly, right in the middle of a heated conversation. It really does look as if there's something that pushed her buttons, and that she doesn't want to admit to or talk about... so she tries to deceive.

That one I can agree with. It is an easy mannerism to draw and maintain for a character.

[MerchManDan]

Another random thought: Had this stargate ever been active before, or was this the first (and possibly only) time it has been used?

...that is a rather random thought, since it's been heavily implied that this portal has been used to transport the mysteriously-vanished Anasazi from that area to South America.

[kingklash]

Another random thought: Had this stargate ever been active before, or was this the first (and possibly only) time it has been used?

...that is a rather random thought, since it's been heavily implied that this portal has been used to transport the mysteriously-vanished Anasazi from that area to South America.

Great googly-moogly! It just dawned on me! Your comment tripped a memory! Ma was an avid reader of Louis L'Amour, and he had written a book called "The Haunted Mesa." About a gateway to a paralell world hidden in a Anasazi cliff dwelling. Has Pablo read that novel, I wonder?