Story Friday May 18, 2018

[The Old Hack 2,448]

http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=2500

Page 2500. Wow.

Also, you tell him, Ellen. He deserves it.

[Scotty 1,061]

Well, I guess Magus did choose to bail, seems more like he panicked because he did want to get back to Ellen and finish things, if he feels that he'd never get the chance at all to atone for anything and get home if he got caught then he'd obviously choose getting home over getting caught.

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

VWM?
What the VWM went VWM?
Was that one of the previously mentioned magic doors opening up in the vicinity of our heroes?

And on a tangent, has this been Elliot's most awkward date yet?
Or was the time he asked Sarah to watch his martial arts practice still worse?

[hkmaly 490]

So, he did wanted to TRY, but when another door apparently appeared inside he decided not to.

However, he WOULD have opportunity to cast spell on her. Now, we could assume that he wanted to at least quickly ask. Or maybe that spell is short-range.

And yes, this is totally the same case as with Tedd. Sure, he doesn't have the advantage of it being mistakes, but still, is Ellen that angry at someone causing her existence? ... well, she is. As she shown with Tedd. Emotions are not logical, after all.

1 minute ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

And on a tangent, has this been Elliot's most awkward date yet?
Or was the time he asked Sarah to watch his martial arts practice still worse?

Hmmm ... not sure about the awkwardness, but I think for Ashley, this date trumps the griffin one in how confusing it is.

[Douglas 16]

I'm sure this yelled admonishment won't be misinterpreted at all. There is zero chance that Magus will think Ellen is angry about him not turning her back into a man.

[hkmaly 490]

1 minute ago, Douglas said:

I'm sure this yelled admonishment won't be misinterpreted at all. There is zero chance that Magus will think Ellen is angry about him not turning her back into a man.

Realistically speaking, he shouldn't be able to hear her over the whoosh, but ... yes.

[ChronosCat 155]

Yay for -- no, wait, that's just the light of a magic door opening near Ellen. Never mind.

...

I wonder, what exactly does Ellen want from Magus? For a fraction of a second I thought maybe she did want the male-form spell after all, but there are a lot of problems with that possibility (the biggest being that unless Elliot and/or Ashley managed to fit in a lot of exposition off screen she has no idea that was his plan); still I could see Magus interpreting it that way anyway. So did she just want to talk with him? Or is there something else she was hoping to get from him?

 

[hkmaly 490]

3 minutes ago, ChronosCat said:

For a fraction of a second I thought maybe she did want the male-form spell after all, but there are a lot of problems with that possibility (the biggest being that unless Elliot and/or Ashley managed to fit in a lot of exposition off screen she has no idea that was his plan)

Also, there is that bit that if she wanted to be male Tedd could easily help.

3 minutes ago, ChronosCat said:

So did she just want to talk with him? Or is there something else she was hoping to get from him?

I suspect she wanted to punch him, although I'm not entirely sure why would she think he owes that to her. Or why would she think after the fight with golem that it would be good idea to do that.

[Stature 96]

You are Ellen, dummy. And a box would go VWM.

Yeah! I want color!

[hkmaly 490]

... wait. Could she be angry at him BECAUSE he made her angry at Tedd?

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

Maybe Ellen just wants to calmly beat Magus senseless until she sorts out the conflicting emotions in her own mind?

[The Old Hack 2,448]

10 minutes ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Maybe Ellen just wants to calmly beat Magus senseless until she sorts out the conflicting emotions in her own mind?

I don't see why not. It's what I would do in her place.

[partner555 170]

I thought Ellen was Elliot in the last panel at first... 

[hkmaly 490]

51 minutes ago, The Old Hack said:

1 hour ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Maybe Ellen just wants to calmly beat Magus senseless until she sorts out the conflicting emotions in her own mind?

I don't see why not. It's what I would do in her place.

In that case, Magus had good idea to not getting near her. Because I suspect if she would started with that, Magus would do something he would then regret and feel need to atone for.

...

wait. Maybe not. Maybe he would be able to cast the "calm" spell quickly. Which might actually help Ellen in sorting out the emotions. And in not attacking person who have worse angry issues than her AND is actually trained to use magic in fight.

[The Old Hack 2,448]

1 hour ago, hkmaly said:

wait. Maybe not. Maybe he would be able to cast the "calm" spell quickly. Which might actually help Ellen in sorting out the emotions. And in not attacking person who have worse angry issues than her AND is actually trained to use magic in fight.

Yeah, no. The 'Calm' spell worked fine on Ashley who was panicking and had minimal magic resistance. Ellen? Just absorbed a massive amount of magical energy, and already had a lot more of it than Ashley to begin with. Her magical resistance would be through the roof and unlike Elliot she has a ranged attack. Not seeing it your way.

[Scotty 1,061]

4 hours ago, The Old Hack said:

Yeah, no. The 'Calm' spell worked fine on Ashley who was panicking and had minimal magic resistance. Ellen? Just absorbed a massive amount of magical energy, and already had a lot more of it than Ashley to begin with. Her magical resistance would be through the roof and unlike Elliot she has a ranged attack. Not seeing it your way.

We still don't know for sure if she absorbed any more energy from the diamond, I still think the Urteronc sensed energy in her because she was created by the diamond and it was seeing Ellen the same way Tara saw her.

But at the same time Ellen could have regained control of her body at any moment before Magus touched the diamond either because she's that awesome, or because of being a creation of the diamond, so yeah, her resistance is like pretty beefy.

[The Old Hack 2,448]

Just now, Scotty said:

We still don't know for sure if she absorbed any more energy from the diamond, I still think the Urteronc sensed energy in her because she was created by the diamond and it was seeing Ellen the same way Tara saw her.

But at the same time Ellen could have regained control of her body at any moment before Magus touched the diamond either because she's that awesome, or because of being a creation of the diamond, so yeah, her resistance is like pretty beefy.

It's all moot. Those who see Magus as an unbeatable demigod will merely invent reasons why Ellen will be automatically flattened anyway. If they are that much in love with their own headcanon, they can keep it. I personally just don't believe it.

[Scotty 1,061]

1 minute ago, The Old Hack said:

It's all moot. Those who see Magus as an unbeatable demigod will merely invent reasons why Ellen will be automatically flattened anyway. If they are that much in love with their own headcanon, they can keep it. I personally just don't believe it.

My headcanon is that Magus would refuse to do anything that would harm Ellen (him running off isn't doing any good, but it's technically not harming her) so if Ellen had the chance to give Magus a good smack, he'd either take it, or dodge, but not retaliate.

[animalia 64]

This may be just my opinion but I think a big part of Ellen’s reaction is because Magus BAILED. Had Magus chosen to stick around Ellen probably wouldn’t be NEARLY as mad.

 

Or maybe I am just projecting my own feelings on feelings on to Ellen.

EDIT: OWN feelings. Stupid phone not letting mecsee what I alreadt typed

Edited May 18, 2018 by animalia

[Vorlonagent 442]

6 hours ago, The Old Hack said:

It's all moot. Those who see Magus as an unbeatable demigod will merely invent reasons why Ellen will be automatically flattened anyway. If they are that much in love with their own headcanon, they can keep it. I personally just don't believe it.

Magus vs. not-Tengue  SUNDAY-SUNDAY-SUNDAY!!! 

IN A NO-HOLDS-BARRED GRUDGE MATCH TO SEE WHO REALLY IT THE MOST AMBIGUOUSLY OVERPOWERED!

SUNDAY-SUNDAY-SUNDAY!!! 

[The Old Hack 2,448]

1 hour ago, animalia said:

This may be just my opinion but I think a big part of Ellen’s reaction is because Magus BAILED. Had Magus chosen to stick around Ellen probably wouldn’t be NEARLY as mad.

 

Or maybe I am just projecting my own feelings on feelings on to Ellen.

My own impression is this: that Ellen is still tremendously conflicted about her own creation because it was such a traumatic experience. She feels irrationally angry about it, which I fully understand. She had very conflicting feelings even about Tedd whom she until recently -- to be exact, this page -- held responsible for her creation because of his careless use of the TG gun and for his part in getting Elliot to the diamond. Now she has learned that Magus used Tedd, Elliot and her creation simply as tools to set himself free from his prison dimension. Acts born from desperation, yes -- but even understanding that, Ellen would still be furious, knowing as she now does that the sole reason for her existence is that she was intended as a one-shot zap device to give Magus the means of possessing Elliot. Granted, she has found meaning of her own since, but I really doubt that will calm her very much.

In short, she badly wants to give Magus a piece of her mind, and I do not really blame her.

[hkmaly 490]

14 hours ago, The Old Hack said:

16 hours ago, hkmaly said:

wait. Maybe not. Maybe he would be able to cast the "calm" spell quickly. Which might actually help Ellen in sorting out the emotions. And in not attacking person who have worse angry issues than her AND is actually trained to use magic in fight.

Yeah, no. The 'Calm' spell worked fine on Ashley who was panicking and had minimal magic resistance. Ellen? Just absorbed a massive amount of magical energy, and already had a lot more of it than Ashley to begin with. Her magical resistance would be through the roof

Good point. Even if Magus managed to cast the spell, Ellen could resist it successfully.

14 hours ago, The Old Hack said:

and unlike Elliot she has a ranged attack. Not seeing it your way.

... that won't really help her resisting spells, would it?

10 hours ago, Scotty said:

My headcanon is that Magus would refuse to do anything that would harm Ellen (him running off isn't doing any good, but it's technically not harming her) so if Ellen had the chance to give Magus a good smack, he'd either take it, or dodge, but not retaliate.

He didn't wanted to harm Elliot either. I still think the clap hurt.

He would likely dodge for some time, then get angry - probably faster than with Elliot, because he has even LESS time now - and then, well, remember Ellen doesn't have enhanced regeneration. Or at least hadn't on morning.

3 hours ago, The Old Hack said:

My own impression is this: that Ellen is still tremendously conflicted about her own creation because it was such a traumatic experience. She feels irrationally angry about it, which I fully understand. She had very conflicting feelings even about Tedd whom she until recently -- to be exact, this page -- held responsible for her creation because of his careless use of the TG gun and for his part in getting Elliot to the diamond. Now she has learned that Magus used Tedd, Elliot and her creation simply as tools to set himself free from his prison dimension. Acts born from desperation, yes -- but even understanding that, Ellen would still be furious, knowing as she now does that the sole reason for her existence is that she was intended as a one-shot zap device to give Magus the means of possessing Elliot. Granted, she has found meaning of her own since

Also girlfriend. Who's athletic, smart, trilingual, ....

3 hours ago, The Old Hack said:

but I really doubt that will calm her very much.

In short, she badly wants to give Magus a piece of her mind, and I do not really blame her.

I'm just saying her reaction isn't logical. I don't blame her either.

 

[Scotty 1,061]

Just now, The Old Hack said:

My own impression is this: that Ellen is still tremendously conflicted about her own creation because it was such a traumatic experience. She feels irrationally angry about it, which I fully understand. She had very conflicting feelings even about Tedd whom she until recently -- to be exact, this page -- held responsible for her creation because of his careless use of the TG gun and for his part in getting Elliot to the diamond. Now she has learned that Magus used Tedd, Elliot and her creation simply as tools to set himself free from his prison dimension. Acts born from desperation, yes -- but even understanding that, Ellen would still be furious, knowing as she now does that the sole reason for her existence is that she was intended as a one-shot zap device to give Magus the means of possessing Elliot. Granted, she has found meaning of her own since, but I really doubt that will calm her very much.

In short, she badly wants to give Magus a piece of her mind, and I do not really blame her.

I'd say she's rationally angry because of those reason you gave, as you pointed out, she chewed Tedd out about her creation, especially the fact that Tedd never apologized for the mistakes. And now she's going to have to apologize to Tedd for that because it was never his fault, so that's something else to be mad about.

 

Just now, hkmaly said:

He didn't wanted to harm Elliot either. I still think the clap hurt.

If that hurt, imagine how much it would have hurt Elliot had his punches actually connected with Magus' face.

 

[hkmaly 490]

1 minute ago, Scotty said:

8 minutes ago, hkmaly said:

He didn't wanted to harm Elliot either. I still think the clap hurt.

If that hurt, imagine how much it would have hurt Elliot had his punches actually connected with Magus' face.

First, that's not exactly the same (I suppose Magus moved his hand as fast as Elliot to catch him, so the velocity difference was twice as big), second, yes that would probably hurt too but it would be much more satisfying.

[Scotty 1,061]

Just now, hkmaly said:

First, that's not exactly the same (I suppose Magus moved his hand as fast as Elliot to catch him, so the velocity difference was twice as big), second, yes that would probably hurt too but it would be much more satisfying.

So, in other words, Magus only hurt Elliot's pride by stopping that punch.