Wapsi Square Forum

jwhouk wrote:A little note: Bia specifically said "No" when Shelly said, "mommy?" in this strip.

Bia isn't her mother. She's her maternal grandmother.

But Nudge said she was Shelly's mom here: http://wapsisquare.com/comic/for-petesake/ And Bia didn't deny it, she tried to hide it in the next strip.

Yamara wrote:As in, she may no longer be worthy of any of them, and they are gone.

Phix said in that strip that is any outsider who acted with aggression would have the books turn to dust in their hands. Phix, by virtue of being one of the Librarians, would not likely be described as an outsider. Besides, there was aggression in the Library before she killed and ate Mis 'Splodey Head, and the books didn't disappear around her...not even after the killing and eating started...

I think that may well be the most links I've ever included in a single post. I like that I can do that in these forums without having to wait for a comment to be approved.

chibichibi01 wrote:But Nudge said she was Shelly's mom here: http://wapsisquare.com/comic/for-petesake/ And Bia didn't deny it, she tried to hide it in the next strip.

That is my take as well. Bia lied, probably because if Shelly knew the truth at that moment she might have lost her forever. A parent faking their death in front of you and hiding that for over a decade will create one hell of a case of distrust, an we are talking about Shelly here.

As for the books, the library might have moved them so they would not get damaged. I would think the Library was capable of self restructuring as well as self repair, not to mention that it seems to be a sentient entity capable of thinking about things like that.

Julie wrote:Phix said in that strip that is any outsider who acted with aggression would have the books turn to dust in their hands

And, in every case we've been shown, the books were actually being touched at the time they paffed into dust. IIRC, it happened once when Shelly aggressively tried to pull a book away from Monica, and it happened again when Monica was expressing great frustration.

If both direct physical contact, and a state of harsh emotional arousal (aggression or frustration) are required, then the books would not necessarily have reacted during the Great Bia Punch-out and Sphinx Feed. Neither Shelly nor Phix (nor anyone else) was shown touching any of the books.

Julie wrote:

Yamara wrote:As in, she may no longer be worthy of any of them, and they are gone.

Phix said in that strip that is any outsider who acted with aggression would have the books turn to dust in their hands. Phix, by virtue of being one of the Librarians, would not likely be described as an outsider. Besides, there was aggression in the Library before she killed and ate Mis 'Splodey Head, and the books didn't disappear around her...not even after the killing and eating started...

My comment was speculation in response to liquidschwartz saying that Phix would be punished. We havent seen any books where Phix is yet. Being the librarian of an empty Library would be commensurate with Nudge being held there with all the knowledge and no one to trick. But it's just a guess. For all I know Lamia is standing behind her patiently waiting to ask where she can locate Fifty Shades of Grey.

My thinking was that Phix wasn't an outsider when she started this bender, but... books of the Library can be hidden, and new positions of service to the Library can be created and earned. And presumably lost.

Julie wrote:I think that may well be the most links I've ever included in a single post. I like that I can do that in these forums without having to wait for a comment to be approved.

It is awfully fun!

Mark N wrote:As for the books, the library might have moved them so they would not get damaged. I would think the Library was capable of self restructuring as well as self repair, not to mention that it seems to be a sentient entity capable of thinking about things like that.

Remember this scene? http://wapsisquare.com/comic/parameters/

I think it can be taken as given that the library routinely restructures itself to the needs of the patrons.

Her only regrets are likely to be the way she lost-control-of-bodily-function-FREAKED-out Monica... turned INTO a savage beast? She has never been anything else, in spite of her civilized veneer. You notice the Gorgon is taking it all in stride? As is Nudge? Phix will do a proper grooming and go back to looking for overdue books and arrainging shelves. That Nanny that became dinner is a critter that has been begging for trouble for some time- Phix's reaction to her tells that there is more than a bit of history here, and she settled in in a way that is universally understood.
Do I eat my advisaries? No. Do I kill with one swipe? No. Have I turned the tables on somebody in a way that made several people blow lunch/bowel/bladder even though they were not directly involved? Yes- on more than a few occasions.
Am I a savage beast?... THAT depends on who you ask, and those who belive me to be such I tend to ignore. Phix is likely very similar...
the Old Sgt.

Sgt. Howard wrote:Her only regrets are likely to be the way she lost-control-of-bodily-function-FREAKED-out Monica... turned INTO a savage beast? She has never been anything else, in spite of her civilized veneer. You notice the Gorgon is taking it all in stride? As is Nudge? Phix will do a proper grooming and go back to looking for overdue books and arrainging shelves. That Nanny that became dinner is a critter that has been begging for trouble for some time- Phix's reaction to her tells that there is more than a bit of history here, and she settled in in a way that is universally understood.
Do I eat my advisaries? No. Do I kill with one swipe? No. Have I turned the tables on somebody in a way that made several people blow lunch/bowel/bladder even though they were not directly involved? Yes- on more than a few occasions.
Am I a savage beast?... THAT depends on who you ask, and those who belive me to be such I tend to ignore. Phix is likely very similar...
the Old Sgt.

I would think the rank might be more like Mst. Gunnery Sgt. (Gunny for those that follow NCIS) . In the field the Captain will always listen to Gunny..

I was bumping around in the archives and ran into this gem.

http://wapsisquare.com/comic/no-teasing/

Boy, was Brandi ever right. No teasing the Sphinxes.


EVER!!!

My2Cents wrote:

Mark N wrote:As for the books, the library might have moved them so they would not get damaged. I would think the Library was capable of self restructuring as well as self repair, not to mention that it seems to be a sentient entity capable of thinking about things like that.

Remember this scene? http://wapsisquare.com/comic/parameters/

I think it can be taken as given that the library routinely restructures itself to the needs of the patrons.

I think the Library moved Phix to the staff break room.
The sign on the inside of the door reads:

"No Food or Drink
in the Stacks, Please."
Thank You, Mgmt.

Sgt. Howard wrote:Am I a savage beast?... THAT depends on who you ask, and those who belive me to be such I tend to ignore. Phix is likely very similar...
the Old Sgt.

We're all savage beasts underneath, including women. Don't think so, try harming a woman's child in her presence (or reach for that last piece of chocolate).

I wonder, in all those years in the time forest did Shelly do things just as bloody and savage? She wasn't "Shelly" as such when she met the first Shelly-1. At one point she was really savage with her, cowering her while she yelled at her, scaring Shelly-1 greatly. She no doubt toughened up quite a bit while there. It seems every time she turns into a sphinx she tends to change her attitude from a kind person to a no-nonsense sphinx. It's more than just a physical transformation. It could be Shelly can be quite understanding of what Phix did. Might even be some bonding between them over it (as they snack on leftovers). Oh the inappropriate comments that are flowing into my mind right now. Best to keep them to myself.

I can't help but think of the old quote. He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.

Bathorys Daughter wrote:We're all savage beasts underneath, including women. Don't think so, try harming a woman's child in her presence (or reach for that last piece of chocolate).

I wonder, in all those years in the time forest did Shelly do things just as bloody and savage? She wasn't "Shelly" as such when she met the first Shelly-1. At one point she was really savage with her, cowering her while she yelled at her, scaring Shelly-1 greatly. She no doubt toughened up quite a bit while there. It seems every time she turns into a sphinx she tends to change her attitude from a kind person to a no-nonsense sphinx. It's more than just a physical transformation. It could be Shelly can be quite understanding of what Phix did. Might even be some bonding between them over it (as they snack on leftovers). Oh the inappropriate comments that are flowing into my mind right now. Best to keep them to myself.

I so agree with you there about harming a woman's child. Even playing mind games with one that has, for all intent and purposes, lost her child (Lil Miss S'plodyheads error) is a major boo boo.
As far as Shelly's change in personality while in Sphinx form, that may be something like a hormonal shift altering her personality. Think of a person getting hormone replacement therapies. One of the side effects is the possibility of increased aggression.

Mark N wrote:From her conversations with Charon (The ferryman of the river Styx) and what she said to everyone, i think her reason for making a new Titan was a reaction to the prophesy so it would involve saving the world. If not she just wanted a child that would not die on her. So one way we can find her admirable in in intolerable way and on the other we can think of her as a selfish, self serving B**CH. Either way this ride is gonna be fun.

I think or maybe hope that it will be more of A Boy Named Sue kind of thing. Either way, Bia personification of Force, feels like she did the right and necessary thing. Because she is a Titan, she did the right thing because might makes right and "Hello, personification of Force here." http://wapsisquare.com/comic/consequenc ... nipotence/ I agree it's gonna be a good ride either way. Because Bia could be an awesome bad guy like the Aries in the Hercules series.

Yamara wrote:

sonicthunder wrote:I wonder how this pair of Phix's glasses stays on her head. There appear to be no arms to rest over her ears or another feature like most glasses. I doubt she would use anything like sock-glue so close to the face. Did the arms just break loose during the feeding frenzy? Or is Phix such an expert monocle wearer, she can rock two at the same time?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pince-nez

That could explain the 'markings' under her eyes. They'd have to be fastened on mighty tight after all given the speed and nature Phix moves, even when calm.

Granted, those nose-pads don't look typical of most Prince Nez glasses I've seen. But we can just blame that on "It's immortal technology. It doesn't have to make sense. We used a washing machine to reset time, for crying in the mud?".

"I would think the rank might be more like Mst. Gunnery Sgt. (Gunny for those that follow NCIS) . In the field the Captain will always listen to Gunny.."

... actually, never more than an E-5 ARMY Sgt.- assigned to medical corps at that... always a REMF, never went overseas... but there WAS some interesting training that NEVER made it to my 201 file. I was NOT a SPEC 5, I was a SGT.- command rank...
And yes- the Brass tended to listen to me... but were too afraid to promote me... can't imagen why...
the Old Sgt.

jwhouk wrote:A little note: Bia specifically said "No" when Shelly said, "mommy?" in this strip.

Bia isn't her mother. She's her maternal grandmother.

But then later, like Dave pointed out, Nudge called Bia out on becoming childhood friends with Shelly's dad and marrying him, and straight up says that Bia is Shelly's mom. Bia does not deny this. Then she faked her death.

EDIT: CRAP, I'm sorry. Was already beaten to that correction. Still getting used to the forum. XD

Wdot wrote:. Because Bia could be an awesome bad guy like the Aries in the Hercules series.

The only thing that makes me doubt Bia as a bad guy is Paul seems to favor not having a real bad guy in the strip. Remember Monica noticed that the only bad guys were the ones that they brought themselves. (Sorry can't find the strip)

Mark N wrote:

Wdot wrote:. Because Bia could be an awesome bad guy like the Aries in the Hercules series.

The only thing that makes me doubt Bia as a bad guy is Paul seems to favor not having a real bad guy in the strip. Remember Monica noticed that the only bad guys were the ones that they brought themselves. (Sorry can't find the strip)

Could it be that Bia was misrepresented by the Greeks? Perhaps, instead of being simply the personification of Force, she's actually Forceful Well-Intentioned Ineptness?

Dave wrote:Could it be that Bia was misrepresented by the Greeks? Perhaps, instead of being simply the personification of Force, she's actually Forceful Well-Intentioned Ineptness?

Why not. It seems they got Justin wrong. Epimetheus is depicted as foolish (his name means 'afterthought') and that in general does not seem to be our Justin.