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hkmaly

Story, Friday November 17, 2017

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4 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin could barely make that premise amusing for the duration of one movie.

So All of Me did make it to the Valley of the Kings 24-plex.

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9 hours ago, Scotty said:
15 hours ago, hkmaly said:

And there is nothing SPECIFIC about slaying vampires except the method used.

The only significant aspect of vampire hunters is that they can summon weapons that are effective against aberrations, that doesn't mean that non-vampire hunters can't kill aberrations, they'd just have more difficulty. Although we can note that Tara and Andrea were very capable of killing aberrations as well and they didn't claim to be vampire hunters. Noriko and her family in general are classed as monster hunters which likely include aberrations but their affinities might not have been specifically geared toward killing aberrations, could have been something else and then branched to include spells for killing aberrations later.  Abraham could summon a sword and shield, he probably had to learn how to do that in order to fight the monsters created by the diamond, no telling if one of those monsters was an aberration but I'm willing to bet his summoned sword can still be effective against them.

I would say that "vampire hunter" is not about ability but just job description. Summoning talent like Susan's one is useful for such job, but not necessary - and Noriko and her family are likely wizards who learned the necessary spells, as well as lot of others, making them even more qualified than Susan. The same would be true for Tara and Andrea - they have the qualification, but neither actually does the job long-term.

And, yes, one can likely kill vampire even without summoned weapons or other anti-aberration spells, so with enough determination they can be vampire hunter too ... it's just not case of anyone we saw so far.

7 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:
8 hours ago, HarJIT said:

Hmmmm… what happens if Sirleck touches the Diamond?

As I speculated earlier, he might split into the (miserable excuse for the) human he was before giving up (what little) empathy he had and a body thief who could create more body thieves. All in all, not that funny.

OR:

The unprecedented situation destroys both Sirleck and the diamond. If this happens before Magus-Elliot touches the diamond...

I repeat that Sirleck CANT touch diamond unless he let Ellen go and goes to material plane. Specifically, Ellen controlled by Sirleck touching the diamond doesn't count as Sirleck counting the diamond.

7 hours ago, The Old Hack said:

I am more interested in what happens if he gets hit by gender flipping magic. Will he turn into Madamleck?

No, Sirleck is his name and we already know that gender flipping magic doesn't affect names.

1 hour ago, The Old Hack said:
5 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin could barely make that premise amusing for the duration of one movie.

I can't even remember seeing that premise done decently. It is too often done for laughs in situations that are not really funny.

I suppose it can be funny if it's temporary (although can't remember where/if it was anywhere either) but definitely no way can that be decent permanently.

Also, we got ELLEN as separate character because it gets funnier than Elliot switching to Ellen sometimes (well ... he still switches to female, but not single female). I don't think Dan would suddenly want to explore inverse condition.

Also, I think destroying Sirleck so suddenly would miss lot of opportunities. It's more likely someone would actually need to spend some effort destroying him.

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I finally went back to read through the entire "giant block of text" (Dan's own words in his commentary) in #165 to mine it for any information on the first trip to the PTTAPUTASF*. For your edification and my own, here it all is, with highlighting and notes:

GRACE: Alright, here we go. As you already know, Tedd's father works for the government. I was able to get access to certain information as a result of that, and have discovered an interesting little itme that is being kept at the government's "Paranormal Things That Are of Little Use to Anyone Storage Facility", or PTTAPUTASF. There is an artifact kept at the PTTAPUTASF called the Dewitchery Diamond that dates back to Medieval Times**. The Dewitchery Diamond is said to be able to separate someone who has been cursed with another form from that curse and return them to normal. All you have to do is touch it. This is such a low priority government building that Tedd here actually has the clearance necessary to get in thanks to his father, but you can't legally accompany him and he can't legally remove the diamond for you to touch. Fortunately, however, the facility is so low priority that there appears to be only one elderly security guard*** who constantly guards the front of the building so once Tedd is inside he should be able to sneak you in through the back and get you to the diamond. There are only security cameras at the doors, which is good but you'll have to use a window to get in because of this. Afterwards, you just have to make it to the second floor, touch the diamond and get back out. I'll stay back here for a number of reasons including but not limited to the facts that the less people sneaking in the better, if I'm caught I might be taken away for testing or something, and someone needs to stay behind to feed Jeremy. Now P is out of town and is estimated to be a three-hour trip by car**** so it's best you leave ASAP.

* PTTAPUTASF does not exactly match up with what Dan made Grace say it stood for. I think Dan had in mind something like this:

Paranormal
Things
That
Are

Perfectly (Probably? Possibly?)
Useless
To
Anyone
Storage
Facility

** If the Dewitchery Diamond dates back to our medieval times, by convention that means no later than 1485. However, that doesn't mean Pandora's last reset was that long ago; we don't know how long the diamond existed before it created the werewolf that killed Blaike. And Erasmus hadn't made that mistranslation turning a jar into a box until some time in the 1500s.

***One elderly guard? Why would Sirleck bother to bribe him? Surely you don't think Sirleck could have lied to Magus!

****A three hour ride. Somehow that reminds me of a boat ride from somwhere...

Interesting information. And all pretty much irrelevant if the diamond has been moved.

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9 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

I repeat that Sirleck CANT touch diamond unless he let Ellen go and goes to material plane. Specifically, Ellen controlled by Sirleck touching the diamond doesn't count as Sirleck counting the diamond.

Unless it does count. But assuming Sirleck has left Ellen and is in material form as he must be prior to taking a new host, one of these things could happen:

  • Elliot kicks Sirleck into the diamond
  • Magus blasts him into the diamond, or even teleports him into it.
  • Ashley kicks the diamond into him. If she can hit a griffin in midair, she can do it.
  • Anyone with the strength and coordination grabs Sirleck by his tail and hammer-throws him into the diamond.

And if touching the diamond while Sirleck is possessing Ellen simply separates him from Ellen, he might not be able to get out of the material plane fast enough to prevent any of the above.

BTW, your last post bumped my last post; it should have come before yours. Not your fault; system glitch.

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1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:

Perfectly (Probably? Possibly?)
Useless

Nyerguds suggested "Pretty Useless".

1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:

One elderly guard? Why would Sirleck bother to bribe him? Surely you don't think Sirleck could have lied to Magus!

If you suggest he possessed him, remember that possessing him would mean the old rich man would die meanwhile.

1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:

A three hour ride. Somehow that reminds me of a boat ride from somwhere...

Tour. It was definitely tour.

1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:

Unless it does count.

There is no enchantment at work. Would be against everything we know about the diamond.

1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:

But assuming Sirleck has left Ellen and is in material form as he must be prior to taking a new host, one of these things could happen:

  • Elliot kicks Sirleck into the diamond
  • Magus blasts him into the diamond, or even teleports him into it.
  • Ashley kicks the diamond into him. If she can hit a griffin in midair, she can do it.
  • Anyone with the strength and coordination grabs Sirleck by his tail and hammer-throws him into the diamond.

But neither is likely to happen before Magus touches the diamond.

Also, it would be part of battle, so not so disappointing. Ashley kicking the diamond on Sirleck and killing him (and possibly destroying the diamond) while everybody else is busy fighting would actually be funny enough I  would consider possible it will happen.

1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:

BTW, your last post bumped my last post; it should have come before yours. Not your fault; system glitch.

Are you sure? According to server times, I made it 320 seconds before you. Not sure how could the system make that big difference. More likely, my post was already on server and you just didn't saw it because you didn't reloaded ...

... unless you mean there was glitch in that automatic notification system which usually warns you if other post was made in forum you have open. That wouldn't surprised me.

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2 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

If you suggest he possessed him, remember that possessing him would mean the old rich man would die meanwhile.

A good point as far as it goes, but I wasn't suggesting that Sirleck should have possessed him back then. Now is another matter, though, isn't it?

But getting back to back then, Sirleck seems to be pretty tight with spending money on anything that doesn't benefit himself, and bribing that guard strikes me as something he would think he could economize on. Besides, the guard did konk out Elliot and arrest Tedd.

Of course, maybe Sirleck bribed a different guard, or a phony guard. Or maybe the corrupt old guard didn't have the decency to stay bribed.

12 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

Are you sure? According to server times, I made it 320 seconds before you. Not sure how could the system make that big difference.

From my end, I got the notification of your post after I posted. I assume my post went on a different stack than yours.

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17 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

Ashley kicking the diamond on Sirleck and killing him (and possibly destroying the diamond) while everybody else is busy fighting would actually be funny enough  would consider possible it will happen.

If that happens, I will be very disappointed if Dan doesn't have 

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!

in the comic or at least in his commentary.

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30 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:
44 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

If you suggest he possessed him, remember that possessing him would mean the old rich man would die meanwhile.

A good point as far as it goes, but I wasn't suggesting that Sirleck should have possessed him back then. Now is another matter, though, isn't it?

Of course NOW it's another matter. Especially considering he no longer has access to his money, unless he has it as cash.

30 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

But getting back to back then, Sirleck seems to be pretty tight with spending money on anything that doesn't benefit himself, and bribing that guard strikes me as something he would think he could economize on. Besides, the guard did konk out Elliot and arrest Tedd.

Of course, maybe Sirleck bribed a different guard, or a phony guard. Or maybe the corrupt old guard didn't have the decency to stay bribed.

The important question is what exactly he bribed the guard for. It PROBABLY was something making the already minimal security even smaller, but was it PRESENTED that way? The most weird thing happening was the diamond being presented on second floor instead of somewhere in box, although Tedd being allowed inside is definitely second. Maybe the bribe was for allowing someone to come look on the diamond, but with supervision of that guard, so what Tedd and Elliot did was still not allowed. Or, yes, maybe the guard accepted the bribe but didn't wanted to actually commit to the terms.

Also, third weird thing? Them being let out. While this might've already be done by Edward, perhaps it wasn't. Maybe it wasn't ONE bribe, or perhaps Sirleck actually called with "some details" which made the guard change mind and let Elliot go.

EDIT: Wait ... Edward said it was him. Nevermind.

To put it more generally: Sirleck bribed the guard based on assumption of what will Elliot do. Guard putting Elliot and Tedd in holding cell might be result of them not behaving according to those assumptions.

30 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:
44 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

Are you sure? According to server times, I made it 320 seconds before you. Not sure how could the system make that big difference.

From my end, I got the notification of your post after I posted. I assume my post went on a different stack than yours.

I think what happened was that my post WAS earlier but the notification about it got delayed so you only saw it afterwards.

25 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:
44 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

Ashley kicking the diamond on Sirleck and killing him (and possibly destroying the diamond) while everybody else is busy fighting would actually be funny enough  would consider possible it will happen.

If that happens, I will be very disappointed if Dan doesn't have 

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!

in the comic or at least in his commentary.

Wouldn't really fit in the comic.

Commentary, though, really should include it.

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8 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

Or, yes, maybe the guard accepted the bribe but didn't wanted to actually commit to the terms.

Or maybe the guard forgot. Trust me, when you get old enough, remembering to go to the toilet is sometimes a problem.

9 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

Also, third weird thing? Them being let out. While this might've already be done by Edward, perhaps it wasn't. Maybe it wasn't ONE bribe, or perhaps Sirleck actually called with "some details" which made the guard change mind and let Elliot go.

The guard told them when he let them out his superiors told him to. Whether or not he was telling the truth is an unanswered question. Perhaps after thinking it over he thought it was better to let them go than to report Elliot got in despite the guard's vigilance. Or maybe "his superiors" were really Sirleck. Whatever, they were let go; maybe Dan will explain further someday.

It also set up the joke Elliot made about Ellen finding her way because, since she isn't a man, she can ask for directions.

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18 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:
38 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

Also, third weird thing? Them being let out. While this might've already be done by Edward, perhaps it wasn't. Maybe it wasn't ONE bribe, or perhaps Sirleck actually called with "some details" which made the guard change mind and let Elliot go.

The guard told them when he let them out his superiors told him to. Whether or not he was telling the truth is an unanswered question. Perhaps after thinking it over he thought it was better to let them go than to report Elliot got in despite the guard's vigilance. Or maybe "his superiors" were really Sirleck. Whatever, they were let go; maybe Dan will explain further someday.

It also set up the joke Elliot made about Ellen finding her way because, since she isn't a man, she can ask for directions.

Already edited my comment, it WAS Edward:

38 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

EDIT: Wait ... Edward said it was him. Nevermind.

However ... on second though ... Sirleck didn't NEEDED them free. Especially if the plan was that Ellen will end up in holding cell as well - or that she will put Magus into Elliot immediately and Magus will quickly touch the diamond again and escape.

It is entirely possible the guard accepted the bribe for letting the kids get inside and let them spend some time alone with diamond on the condition he can arrest them afterwards and make sure they are not taking anything out. Sirleck would accept that condition. The guard might not understand why but if the bribe was big enough he may not care.

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3 hours ago, hkmaly said:

If you suggest he possessed him, remember that possessing him would mean the old rich man would die meanwhile.

Bribing the security guard happened before Sirleck too the old man for a host. The first Sister arc happened in January, and Sirleck took the old man as host in March a week after Sister 2

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3 minutes ago, Scotty said:

Bribing the security guard happened before Sirleck too the old man for a host. The first Sister arc happened in January, and Sirleck took the old man as host in March a week after Sister 2

Uh, no. Sirleck said he bribed the guard, and whether or not he actually did bribe the guard, he had to be possessing the old man in January when he could have bribed the guard and when Magus set up the whole thing with Sirleck.

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3 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Uh, no. Sirleck said he bribed the guard, and whether or not he actually did bribe the guard, he had to be possessing the old man in January when he could have bribed the guard and when Magus set up the whole thing with Sirleck.

He could have easily been in possession of another host who had access to money, the old man we saw him take wouldn't have been the first one.

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2 minutes ago, Scotty said:

He could have easily been in possession of another host who had access to money, the old man we saw him take wouldn't have been the first one.

Easily? If finding a rich host was easy, why would Sirleck keep riding this particular brain-dead old man? Plus this would be adding a complication. Yes, it could have happened, but is there really a good reason for it to have happened that way, a reason that would make the story better? A reason for Dan to worry about?

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3 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Easily? If finding a rich host was easy, why would Sirleck keep riding this particular brain-dead old man? Plus this would be adding a complication. Yes, it could have happened, but is there really a good reason for it to have happened that way, a reason that would make the story better? A reason for Dan to worry about?

He kept to the one we saw him with because he was focusing on getting Helena and Demetrius distracted.

Back in T-minus, The demon Ally, we have the page where Magus is recovering from Pandora's tantrum stating that it was Wednesday, March 20....A week after Abraham attempted to kill Ellen, the next page shows Sirleck taking the dying old man for a host with the statement of "Meanwhile, an office in Chicago". If Sirleck had the old man as a host when he bribed the guard back on January 30th, why didn't Dan say so? The "meanwhile" wouldn't make any sense in that case.

Also, it might not have been that easy to find a host, Sirleck might have had the host he used to bribe the guard for the whole 2 months from that point before he found the old man, or had to wait for the right moment to jump.

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15 minutes ago, Scotty said:

If Sirleck had the old man as a host when he bribed the guard back on January 30th, why didn't Dan say so? The "meanwhile" wouldn't make any sense in that case.

Possibly Dan hadn't created Sirleck back on January 30th in the previous Moperverse year, which due to the mysterious and variable time dilation between that universe and our own,  corresponds to a period around July 2002 in our time. Sirleck's first appearance, in "Meanwhile in Chicago", of the following March 20th didn't happen relative to our universe until April 9th, 2010.

Before we go on further, Monday's EGS is already up.

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1 minute ago, Tom Sewell said:

Possibly Dan hadn't created Sirleck back on January 30th in the previous Moperverse year, which due to the mysterious and variable time dilation between that universe and our own,  corresponds to a period around July 2002 in our time. Sirleck's first appearance, in "Meanwhile in Chicago", of the following March 20th didn't happen relative to our universe until April 9th, 2010.

Of course Dan likely didn't have the plot about Magus and Sirleck  thought out at the time of the first Sister arc, or at the very leave didn't have Sirleck thought of, but he still didn't didn't shoehorn the idea that Sirleck always had the old man as a host at that point. The "meanwhile" was saying that Sirleck took the old man for a host at the same time that Magus was swearing to end Pandora.

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45 minutes ago, Scotty said:

Back in T-minus, The demon Ally, we have the page where Magus is recovering from Pandora's tantrum stating that it was Wednesday, March 20....A week after Abraham attempted to kill Ellen, the next page shows Sirleck taking the dying old man for a host with the statement of "Meanwhile, an office in Chicago". If Sirleck had the old man as a host when he bribed the guard back on January 30th, why didn't Dan say so? The "meanwhile" wouldn't make any sense in that case.

Except that "meanwhile" doesn't show the point where Sirleck took over the dying old man ; it was the point where the old man died. He had him possessed before ... how do you think Magus found him?

Wait. That still makes possible Sirleck took over the guard ; if the old man only died at this point, Sirleck had option to leave him before that.

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1 minute ago, hkmaly said:

Except that "meanwhile" doesn't show the point where Sirleck took over the dying old man ; it was the point where the old man died. He had him possessed before ... how do you think Magus found him?

Wait. That still makes possible Sirleck took over the guard ; if the old man only died at this point, Sirleck had option to leave him before that.

Quote
mean·while
ˈmēnˌ(h)wīl/
adverb
  1. in the intervening period of time.
    "Julie has meanwhile found herself another dancing partner"
    synonyms: for now, for the moment, for the present, for the time being, meantime, in the meantime, in the interim, in the interval
    "meanwhile, I'll stay here"
    • at the same time.
      "steam for another five minutes; meanwhile, make a white sauce"
      synonyms: at the same time, simultaneously, concurrently
      "cook for a further half hour; meanwhile, make the stuffing"

That definition does not allow for the introduction of Sirleck taking the old man as a host to occur months before Magus swears to end Pandora. So everything we saw in "T-Minus, A Demon Ally" happened on the same day.

As for how Magus was able to find Sirleck a day later? Maybe he's not limited to just amplifying emotions on the spirit plane and could track Sirleck somehow.

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27 minutes ago, Scotty said:

That definition does not allow for the introduction of Sirleck taking the old man as a host to occur months before Magus swears to end Pandora. So everything we saw in "T-Minus, A Demon Ally" happened on the same day.

OF COURSE everything we saw in "T-Minus, A Demon Ally" happened on the same day. What I'm saying is that the scene depicted here is NOT scene where Sirleck is taking over the rich old man. HE WAS ALREADY POSSESSING HIM BEFORE THAT. We only see him in last frame because that's only frame which is from astral plane.

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7 hours ago, hkmaly said:

OF COURSE everything we saw in "T-Minus, A Demon Ally" happened on the same day. What I'm saying is that the scene depicted here is NOT scene where Sirleck is taking over the rich old man. HE WAS ALREADY POSSESSING HIM BEFORE THAT. We only see him in last frame because that's only frame which is from astral plane.

I don't see how he could have been possessing him before that point, the old man was dying there, the fifth panel has him in a coughing fit, and in the sixth, his eyes are closed, he's got drool coming out of his mouth, and it looks like he dropped the pouch he was holding, plus there's the who "No old man, you don't get to die today" statement which I keep saying is Sirleck having just possessed him before the old man became unpossessable, the brain had died but the body hadn't gone into rigormortis yet. The next time we saw Sirleck in Dark Allegiance, the old man certainly seems in better condition due to being under Sirleck's possession.

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IMHO there is nothing in that scene that gives any indiciation, not even a tentative or weak own, regarding how long Sirleck had possessed that particular host. The only way it particularly makes sense for him to have just done so, is if that host was the attorney handling the estate of his previous host.

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I always interpreted that scene as indicating Sirleck had been controlling the old man for quite some time, the Old Man was terminally ill, and Sirleck was providing some sort of magical life-support since he wasn't ready to change hosts just yet. It never occurred to me the lack of signs of illness in the Old Man's later appearances might have any significance; I just assumed Dan didn't feel the need to devote the time to reminding the readers the Old Man was sick.

I suppose it's technically possible Sirleck possessed the Old Man around the time of that strip (though that really doesn't look like the moment of possession to me), but why would he possess a man who is already sick and dying? Sure, he was rich, but there's plenty of healthy young rich men and women he could have picked from instead.

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Quote

I suppose it's technically possible Sirleck possessed the Old Man around the time of that strip (though that really doesn't look like the moment of possession to me), but why would he possess a man who is already sick and dying? Sure, he was rich, but there's plenty of healthy young rich men and women he could have picked from instead.

IF his previous host had died of old age (despite Sirleck's best efforts) before Sirleck could get his will and other arrangements completed to his satisfaction, then it would perhaps make sense to choose for his new host the attorney handling the estate. Even if that attorney was also near death. However, he'd want to then move very swiftly to find a new long-term host and get everything lined up.

But other than that - yes, there's no shortage of at least passably wealthy people who are young to middle-aged and NOT on the brink of death. Or if he has a decent amount of time he doesn't even need a passably wealthy person and can pick someone fresh out of college to "mentor"...

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8 hours ago, Don Edwards said:

IF his previous host had died of old age (despite Sirleck's best efforts) before Sirleck could get his will and other arrangements completed to his satisfaction, then it would perhaps make sense to choose for his new host the attorney handling the estate. Even if that attorney was also near death. However, he'd want to then move very swiftly to find a new long-term host and get everything lined up.

But other than that - yes, there's no shortage of at least passably wealthy people who are young to middle-aged and NOT on the brink of death. Or if he has a decent amount of time he doesn't even need a passably wealthy person and can pick someone fresh out of college to "mentor"...

I don't think the old man was an attorney, maybe in an accounting firm or bank though, he's wealthy enough to have a butler, but he also has access to other people's money since Sirleck was using him to embezzle.

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