Locuran wrote:To not go into the deep thinker's end of this; I can appreciate the fact that in the last two strips alone, the people/things/locations/whatevers that other characters have treated with a modicum of respect/awe/fear, Kats has no problem in getting huffy or straight out mad at.
She's still my favourite.
Quickie Q: Kats and Tina, did they ever interact with each other? Just curious.
I seem to remember them meeting... I'll have to look back....
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 12:41 am
by DilyV
MerchManDan wrote:
jwhouk wrote:(FWIP or whatever the sound of a stargate poit is)
For what it's worth, the sound appears to be BVVVVVVVVVVorp!
Well, that's a hell of a lot better than bvvvvvvvvvvvvvvTHUP!
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 12:50 am
by Ohnhai
mrsmack wrote:I'm having trouble figuring out which order the panels should read. Can someone help me out?
Also, am I the only one a bit confused by it? I usually don't have this problem.
Nope. Not the only one...
The flow is completely out of wack. Even if the the dividing line between the lower three and the upper three panels was a straight line the order of the top thre would still be a little ambiguous.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 12:50 am
by Mark N
DilyV wrote:
MerchManDan wrote:
jwhouk wrote:(FWIP or whatever the sound of a stargate poit is)
For what it's worth, the sound appears to be BVVVVVVVVVVorp!
Well, that's a hell of a lot better than bvvvvvvvvvvvvvvTHUP!
That only happens if you forget to turn off the parking break.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 1:08 am
by Timotheus
Based on further thought over what has been said before and using Dr. Gilchrist's demonstrated extremely fast healing ability, her resilience to physical punishment in excess of what would be considered normal for a basic human, and her rapid adaptation and display of knowledge and ability to use what amounted to a bio-genetic/telekinetic transport computation system within minutes of encountering it for the "first" time as major proof points, I am going to stick my neck out and say that she is not a purely normal human.
Even as a chimera she would not exhibit these traits. What she is and to what degree she is more than human I won't hazard a guess, but she is definitely a potential member of the Wapsie Square Paranormal Pride Day Association.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 3:59 am
by BrokenMoonblade
Given the recurringspider imagery and Kat's lovely peepers, I'd love to see the MIB crew/Phix/Library turn up the head until we get a two-comic face-off.
Day One: Kat - "Bring her back. Now."* Inset panel with Kat snarling, revealing elongated upper canines; her eyes colder than death's embrace. Large panel, pulled back to see a large spectral Brown Recluse, behind and above her, in full threat display.**
Day Two: Everyone else, in a group shot, standing very still and wearing that expression that says 'Houston, the flight went fine, but we may have missed our exit. Permission to panic, over?'.
Then we can get on with the important stuff. Like watching a certain birdy grapple with her need for hugs conflicting with minor arachnophobia.
* that quiet voice that cuts through artillery barrages and crosses the breadth of the universe with the promise that failure or rejection were never born, much less options.
** credit to David Weber for Sharna-like imagery I'm seeing in my head.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 11:06 am
by kingklash
Dave wrote:
Dr. Otter wrote:
In that first introduction, her name was spelled "ατσάλη," which appears to not have a Greek translation (according to 3 online dictionaries). In contrast, "ατσάλι" (with a terminal iota vice eta) means "steel," both the literal sense of the metal and the figurative sense of "determination' or "grit." Sounds like "tough" to me.
I believe I recall that in the very first introduction (2013-01-31), her name was originally given as "ατσαλος" (Romanicized as "Atsalos"), which seems to have multiple translations from Greek into English. It comes across as the noun "steel", and as adjectives "clumsy" and noun "bungler" (according to Google Translate). It looks like the difference is one of stress... for "clumsy" and "bungler" the stress is on the first "α" and for "steel" it's on the second "α".
Akasha pointed out the translation of "clumsy", and that the "-ος" ending is traditionally used for male names, and that -η, -α endings are for female names. Paul chimed in shortly thereafter, said that he liked the female "ατσάλη" better, and retropatched the comic.
So, my sense is that we have a legitimate and somewhat punnish multiple-meaning here... "tough but clumsy" which is sorta what we've seen of her so far. I wonder if it's actually her birth-name (or hatching-name?), or whether it's a name that people in the orphanage labeled on her her based on their experience of her.
Tough enough to have to grow up in an orphanage. Being given a name which means "Steel", but which can be punned into "Clumsy" by slightly mispronouncing it would make it even worse... you can just imagine that the other kids would have had a lot of fun tormenting her with this.
Among my peoples, it isn't unusual to have several names growing up. Traditionally, you are given one name at birth, then around puberty maybe another name (your rites may vary), and maybe another name as an adult, especially if you accomplished a great deed, as warriors often do. Only your family can still call you by your little kid name. These days, you may even grow up without really realizing many of your relatives have actual names, because you've always known them by nicknames nearly all your life. If Atsali gets a chance to interact with the Mundane World, "Sally" will work with the straights well enough. Besides, she does share some of the unedited outspoken-ness with Charlie Browns sister.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 11:17 am
by Fairportfan
Timotheus wrote:Based on further thought over what has been said before and using Dr. Gilchrist's demonstrated extremely fast healing ability, her resilience to physical punishment in excess of what would be considered normal for a basic human, and her rapid adaptation and display of knowledge and ability to use what amounted to a bio-genetic/telekinetic transport computation system within minutes of encountering it for the "first" time as major proof points, I am going to stick my neck out and say that she is not a purely normal human.
Ummm - i figured that as soon as we saw her eyes for the first time.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 11:51 am
by Sideromelane
Kath was created as a result of the merging of what, six? babies?
Maybe she has six lives.
She /should have/ died at the helicopter attack, she got buried alive, again when booted in the face?
Or maybe 6x the normal amount of mortal life force makes one indestructible or something.
Either one would make her more than a normal mortal, while not quite being on par with, say, Monica. And maybe just enough to adopt a baby bird.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 5:18 pm
by sheik
Sideromelane wrote:Kath was created as a result of the merging of what, six? babies?
Maybe she has six lives.
She /should have/ died at the helicopter attack, she got buried alive, again when booted in the face?
Or maybe 6x the normal amount of mortal life force makes one indestructible or something.
Either one would make her more than a normal mortal, while not quite being on par with, say, Monica. And maybe just enough to adopt a baby bird.
Considering her toughness and eyes I'm inclined to think she actually a dodecaploid, or whatever name that would describe the use of six full sets of chromosomes.
That being said she's technically a species unto herself.
I like the Bolo btw.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 12:13 am
by KnightDelight
Yamara wrote:Not sure if sirens are immortal, but I can only imagine you'd have to have special clearance with the MIB to adopt a paranormal OH WAIT.
Tsilla may use membership in the MIB as a firm prerequisite for adopting a paranormal. At least mention that such membership would go a long way towards smoothing the path to adoption. At the least, guardianship. Maybe a "ward" like Batman's Robin. A little blackmail to get Kath to sign up.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 12:35 am
by Fairportfan
KnightDelight wrote:
Yamara wrote:Not sure if sirens are immortal, but I can only imagine you'd have to have special clearance with the MIB to adopt a paranormal OH WAIT.
Tsilla may use membership in the MIB as a firm prerequisite for adopting a paranormal. At least mention that such membership would go a long way towards smoothing the path to adoption. At the least, guardianship. Maybe a "ward" like Batman's Robin. A little blackmail to get Kath to sign up.
Or, mayhap, a bribe.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 1:13 am
by MerchManDan
Sideromelane wrote:Kath was created as a result of the merging of what, six? babies?
Maybe she has six lives.
She /should have/ died at the helicopter attack, she got buried alive, again when booted in the face?
Or maybe 6x the normal amount of mortal life force makes one indestructible or something.
Either one would make her more than a normal mortal, while not quite being on par with, say, Monica. And maybe just enough to adopt a baby bird.
jwhouk wrote:It is possible - though not likely - that as a direct descendant of these people - who were descendants of the Lanthians, who we do occasionally posit may have been the ones who built the Bibliothiki in the first place, she may have just used her "command voice".
Maybe Kathryn is destined to become the head librarian. Wonder how Phix would take the demotion? Nudge will just smile.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 2:24 am
by Timotheus
Kathrine is a researcher, not an archivist plus, surprisingly enough, seems to have a flair for field work unlike a certain Irish-Latina coworker. She is six merged souls into one, six merged individuals into one, and something else we have yet to find out.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 2:43 am
by My2Cents
KnightDelight wrote:Tsilla may use membership in the MIB as a firm prerequisite for adopting a paranormal. At least mention that such membership would go a long way towards smoothing the path to adoption. At the least, guardianship. Maybe a "ward" like Batman's Robin. A little blackmail to get Kath to sign up.
I think that would be most ... unwise. it would be a threat and ultimatum, and you won't like the result.
If Kathryn accepts joining MIB as the price of adopting Atsali, then she will also accept that the MIB can take Atsali away at any time they don't like her performance and will take steps render that impossible. Congradulations, you now have an extremely competent entity of unknown capabilites dedicated to the destruction of the MIB, inside the MIB.
If, on the other had, she tells them to perform a physiologically impossible reproductive maneuver you now have that enemy on the outside. Pray she doesn't retain Library access.
Plus what do you think will happen Monica finds out what was pulled on her friend. And given their past histories Bud, Brandy, Shelley, and Nudge will back her up. Probably Phix as well.
Don't go there.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 2:46 am
by My2Cents
Timotheus wrote:Kathrine is a researcher, not an archivist plus, surprisingly enough, seems to have a flair for field work unlike a certain Irish-Latina coworker. She is six merged souls into one, six merged individuals into one, and something else we have yet to find out.
but if it turns out she can command the Library, what else would you call her?
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 9:46 am
by Sideromelane
MerchManDan wrote:
Sideromelane wrote:Kath was created as a result of the merging of what, six? babies?
Maybe she has six lives.
She /should have/ died at the helicopter attack, she got buried alive, again when booted in the face?
Or maybe 6x the normal amount of mortal life force makes one indestructible or something.
Either one would make her more than a normal mortal, while not quite being on par with, say, Monica. And maybe just enough to adopt a baby bird.
Uhh. I actually just thought of <- and the scene just before it, where they describe her DNA...
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 10:52 am
by davids4250
My2Cents wrote:
Timotheus wrote:Kathrine is a researcher, not an archivist plus, surprisingly enough, seems to have a flair for field work unlike a certain Irish-Latina coworker. She is six merged souls into one, six merged individuals into one, and something else we have yet to find out.
but if it turns out she can command the Library, what else would you call her?
Ma'am.
Re: Waiting To Be Sent Back 2013-07-12
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 11:20 am
by Dave
My2Cents wrote:Plus what do you think will happen Monica finds out what was pulled on her friend. And given their past histories Bud, Brandy, Shelley, and Nudge will back her up. Probably Phix as well.
Don't go there.
Yeah. At this point, trying to pressure Katherine doesn't look like a good idea at all, and she's going to be very suspicious of any further attempts at manipulation.
If the MIB and/or the Library are seriously interested in having Kath on their side, I think there are only three things they can do which might lead to that.
Fold. Apologize. Explain.
Even then, it's going to be hard for them to earn her trust.