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Tom Sewell

Story Friday, May 3, 2019

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1 hour ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

 

 

For being one of the foremost paranormal investigators, Edward Verres certainly took long enough to pick up the clues Lavender was dropping.

Well, there's also the possibility that they were in this relationship for some time already, but Dan just had a chance to show it to us now.

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Just now, Entropy said:
Just now, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

 

 

For being one of the foremost paranormal investigators, Edward Verres certainly took long enough to pick up the clues Lavender was dropping.

Well, there's also the possibility that they were in this relationship for some time already, but Dan just had a chance to show it to us now.

Dan hinted at the brewing relationship between Edward and Lavender in the "Zombie Plans" NP, like he specifically chose Panel 1 of the last strip as the reason to make the story canon. We don't know when that NP takes place but it might be safe to say it's prior to "End of an Era" given their coats, probably either November or early December, but that's my guess.

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Part of me wonders if Edward was looking for a good excuse to spend the weekend with Lavender when Tedd and Eliot just happened to come up with the party idea.

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11 minutes ago, Drasvin said:

Part of me wonders if Edward was looking for a good excuse to spend the weekend with Lavender when Tedd and Eliot just happened to come up with the party idea.

More than one part of me agrees. 

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38 minutes ago, Drasvin said:

Part of me wonders if Edward was looking for a good excuse to spend the weekend with Lavender when Tedd and Eliot just happened to come up with the party idea.

Of course he was.

 

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It's funny, my first reaction reading this strip was "Yay, the party's still on!" despite knowing even before this story started that it would be about a party (not about attempting to throw a party and failing). Anyway, I'm glad Tedd's onboard, and it won't be just about introducing Ashley to everyone and their magic.

Also, it's a nice touch having Elliot correct himself on Tedd's pronouns, but it does drive home to me that the way Dan's drawing Tedd's face right now reads as "male" to me. Kind of ironic, as this is the reverse of the gender-presentation issues Tedd used to have in-story.
 

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Dan's been hinting so strongly about Edward and Lavender, I'm not even sure it's enough of a reveal to warrant an "Oh, snap!" at this point. :-D

I'm glad to see Tedd's dad is getting a little joy and, ah, relaxation in his life.  I hope it helps him to deal better with his offspring's gender fluidity.  I'm *really* hoping that the eventual Talk between them winds up being similar to the one between Tedd and Elliot, where Tedd finds out she's been worrying for nothing.

Hmm, which will come first, Tedd telling her dad she's gender-fluid, or Edward telling Tedd about him and Lavender?

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Yeah, the use of "Oh Snap" confused me. Isn't that supposed to be for bad things? At the very least it's supposed to be for surprising things, and my reaction to the final panel was just amusement and a thought of "this is going to be a running gag, isn't it?"

Incidentally, I wonder if Tedd even knows (or at least knows of) Lavender? If not, Mr. Verres might want to invite her over and give Tedd a chance to get to know her as "Dad's friend who is a girl" before revealing her as his girlfriend. And thinking ahead (and assuming the relationship progresses smoothly), I hope Mr. Verres at least knows better than to get engaged to her before Tedd has had a chance to get to know her (I mean, that sort of revelation has the potential to be just as painful for Tedd as talk of Noriko, maybe even more).

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1 hour ago, ChronosCat said:

Yeah, the use of "Oh Snap" confused me. Isn't that supposed to be for bad things? At the very least it's supposed to be for surprising things, and my reaction to the final panel was just amusement and a thought of "this is going to be a running gag, isn't it?"

Dan might have been wondering if we had forgotten about the hint in Zombie Plans.

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Tedd might know her as "Dad's secretary is named Lavender" from phone calls and casual conversation, or he might have gone to his dad's office a few times and know her as "that Uryuom who works for Dad," or even, if he was the right age, "that totally sexy may-have-helped-inspire-FV5 Uryuom who works for Dad."

Would Tedd have gone to her dad's office?  Or is his job too super-secret?  Hmm, come to think of it, who looked after Tedd while his dad was at work when he was little?  I've seen no hint of a beloved nanny or au pair or day care or anything, so it's pretty wide open.  Maybe Lavender used to take care of him when Dad had to work.  Tedd was very matter-of-fact about Will and Gil, didn't seem surprised to see aliens Uryuom-Americans talking to Edward in that flashback, and Edward didn't appear to be trying to keep them hidden from Tedd, or worried about Tedd seeing them.  I get the feeling Tedd grew up a part if his dad's world, at least in an ancillary way.  

.....and I think I've talked myself into a new headcanon....

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13 minutes ago, CritterKeeper said:

.....and I think I've talked myself into a new headcanon....

That's an appealing headcanon, but I don't see any foreshadowing. Lavender being an Uryuom isn't likely to be a big issue with Tedd. Dad having a girlfriend is another matter. A serious girlfriend for Edward threatens any hopeless hope Tedd has of his parents getting back together.

On a related issue, exactly why did the Will of Magic think it was better to have Tedd find out about Van later? My headcanon right now is that Tedd will find about his mom's other kid at about the same time Tedd finds out about Lavender and his dad.

 

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If Lavender is going to be seen with Edward in public, and the Uryuom are supposed to be kept secret, she's going to need to be disguised--like William and Gillian. How long has Edward been planning for Tedd to provide this service?

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1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:

A serious girlfriend for Edward threatens any hopeless hope Tedd has of his parents getting back together.

I'm not certain, but after this many years, I don't really expect Tedd to still be holding onto that hope. It might still bother him that he hasn't been able to see her since she left, but I think he's accepted that the divorce is final.

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11 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

That covers the fact that is still bothers Tedd that he hasn't seen her since she left, I think he would have been alright if Edward and Noriko remained amiable (like if she at least visited for Christmas), as it would have helped keep him from withdrawing the way he did, but that statement doesn't suggest any hope for them getting back together.

It is pretty clear (to us) that the reason Noriko never visited was because she had remarried and had another child, it's tough to say if that would have just as bad an impact on Tedd if she showed up with her new husband and son as not showing up at all.

I do wonder what Tedd and Van's first "official" meeting as half siblings would be like, Van obviously already knows, but I imagine Tedd being all "I was teamed up with my half brother to fight against magic changing? Awesome!!!"

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35 minutes ago, Scotty said:

that statement doesn't suggest any hope for them getting back together.

I said hopeless hope. Tedd can be very logical, but this is an emotional issue for Tedd. Tedd feels he and his father were deserted, and in canon, there is zero evidence so far that that isn't exactly the truth.

 

35 minutes ago, Scotty said:

It is pretty clear (to us) that the reason Noriko never visited was because she had remarried and had another child, it's tough to say if that would have just as bad an impact on Tedd if she showed up with her new husband and son as not showing up at all.

You're assuming Noriko got married again. The one thing we do know about Noriko is that she was crushed by having a child with no magic. If she felt it was her duty, I could see her simply finding a sperm donor with magic rather than getting emotionally entangled with another man.

And what does Noriko have now in Van? She either thinks Van has no magic now, or has found out he does have magic after all. If it's the second alternative, she now has reason to think that Tedd might be the same--even if she doesn't know about Van's and Tedd's little talk with the Will of Magic.

In either alternative, she has reasons to be even more ashamed of how she's treated Tedd. Add in the contempt of her sister, and it becomes more understandable why she'd find fighting monsters like Not-Tengu easier than coming home to face the rest of her family.

35 minutes ago, Scotty said:

I do wonder what Tedd and Van's first "official" meeting as half siblings would be like, Van obviously already knows, but I imaging Tedd being all "I was teamed up with my half brother to fight against magic changing? Awesome!!!"

Tedd will definitely say something like that, but not right away, I think.

Nanase and Akiko's reactions are also something I'm looking forward to. Notice that Akiko and Van are close to the same age?

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2 minutes ago, Tom Sewell said:

Tedd feels he and his father were deserted, and in canon, there is zero evidence so far that that isn't exactly the truth.

Pandora's visit gave Tedd a pretty good idea as to why Noriko left and he seemed to take it pretty well, he was worried that he might have been the reason all along, and it was technically true, but for the wrong reasons which he found hilarious.  The following page seems to also suggest that Noriko's decision to leave might have also been to distance herself from Tedd so that he'd be safe from anyone who might try to use him to get to her, though the incident with Not_Tengu proved that to be flawed, however, it might be argued that Pandora's meddling negated Noriko's efforts.

 

1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:

Nanase and Akiko's reactions are also something I'm looking forward to. Notice that Akiko and Van are close to the same age?

Akiko is probably going on 9 now, while I'm guessing Van is 10, I don't think that has any plot relevance, but if you're suggesting they become playmates, it's certainly possible. I'm not really expecting Noriko and Van would move back to Moperville, but I guess it depends on how Dan plans on having Tedd and Van meet again and Tedd learning about his relation to Van.

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First reaction to commentary: Edward TOTALLY asked Lavender first. It wouldn't be first time the panels of comics were not in order they were happening.

14 hours ago, Scotty said:
15 hours ago, Entropy said:
16 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

For being one of the foremost paranormal investigators, Edward Verres certainly took long enough to pick up the clues Lavender was dropping.

Well, there's also the possibility that they were in this relationship for some time already, but Dan just had a chance to show it to us now.

Dan hinted at the brewing relationship between Edward and Lavender in the "Zombie Plans" NP, like he specifically chose Panel 1 of the last strip as the reason to make the story canon. We don't know when that NP takes place but it might be safe to say it's prior to "End of an Era" given their coats, probably either November or early December, but that's my guess.

Yes, but Lavender was dropping clues much longer. Quite heavy clues, in fact.

12 hours ago, Drasvin said:

Part of me wonders if Edward was looking for a good excuse to spend the weekend with Lavender when Tedd and Eliot just happened to come up with the party idea.

I'm not. Wondering would imply I have some doubt about that. It seems quite obvious to me.

10 hours ago, CritterKeeper said:

Hmm, which will come first, Tedd telling her dad she's gender-fluid, or Edward telling Tedd about him and Lavender?

I wonder if Tedd will have some opportunity to guess what's happening before Edward tells him.

9 hours ago, ChronosCat said:

Incidentally, I wonder if Tedd even knows (or at least knows of) Lavender? If not, Mr. Verres might want to invite her over and give Tedd a chance to get to know her as "Dad's friend who is a girl" before revealing her as his girlfriend.

Even if he helped her with her form (which can't be ruled out), the question is if he's aware she's Mr. Verres friend and not just assistant.

3 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

You're assuming Noriko got married again. The one thing we do know about Noriko is that she was crushed by having a child with no magic. If she felt it was her duty, I could see her simply finding a sperm donor with magic rather than getting emotionally entangled with another man.

There IS also option she had normal sex with someone without getting emotionally entangled or at least married.

(For one, she may have doubts, unfounded or not, that artificial insemination may lower the chance of child having magic.)

3 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

And what does Noriko have now in Van? She either thinks Van has no magic now, or has found out he does have magic after all. If it's the second alternative, she now has reason to think that Tedd might be the same--even if she doesn't know about Van's and Tedd's little talk with the Will of Magic.

Remember that if she tested Van in some less scary way, she may have detected he has magic without getting any suspicious Tedd has magic as well.

She may either know how wandmakers work, or be satisfied with reading suggesting magic talent and not worrying about him not having any spell yet.

1 hour ago, Scotty said:
3 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

Nanase and Akiko's reactions are also something I'm looking forward to. Notice that Akiko and Van are close to the same age?

Akiko is probably going on 9 now, while I'm guessing Van is 10, I don't think that has any plot relevance, but if you're suggesting they become playmates, it's certainly possible. I'm not really expecting Noriko and Van would move back to Moperville, but I guess it depends on how Dan plans on having Tedd and Van meet again and Tedd learning about his relation to Van.

Playmates? It's never too early to start shipping. They will totally hook up when they get old enough for it to not be creepy.

... wait, that's probably not going to happen in the comic itself for at least half century ... assuming the comics will go for that long ...

... I don't care, I ship it.

Note that Akiko will obviously have own magic at that point, if she doesn't already.

 

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5 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

If Lavender is going to be seen with Edward in public, and the Uryuom are supposed to be kept secret, she's going to need to be disguised--like William and Gillian. How long has Edward been planning for Tedd to provide this service?

This stems from a more "wacky" phase of the comic, so I wouldn't be shocked if Dan retconned it, but up to this point Uryuoms have been able to walk around in public without most people seeming to suspect there's anything strange about them. The reason Will and Gill wanted clone forms was not because they couldn't be seen in public, but just because they thought they could fit in a bit better.

5 hours ago, Scotty said:

I'm not certain, but after this many years, I don't really expect Tedd to still be holding onto that hope. It might still bother him that he hasn't been able to see her since she left, but I think he's accepted that the divorce is final.

He might not consciously expect Edward and Noriko to get back together, but if Edward started dating (or worse got engaged) Tedd might feel Edward was trying to "replace" Noriko. Granted there would be a bigger chance of this if it was happening when Tedd was younger, but considering how traumatized Tedd still is about the divorce and Noriko's departure, there's still a chance it could be a problem.

On a related note, I'm trying to remember what (if anything) we know about why Noriko has never returned or kept in touch (as far as we know), besides the "too expensive to visit" excuse. One thought that comes to my mind from time to time is what if it wasn't Noriko's choice? For instance, what if it was part of the divorce settlement that she wasn't allowed contact? (I hope this isn't true, for Tedd's sake; if it were the case and Mr. Verres had been hiding it from Tedd, the discovery of it could drive a huge wedge between them...)

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1 hour ago, hkmaly said:

There IS also option she had normal sex with someone without getting emotionally entangled or at least married.

Quite so. Provided, of course, that the "someone else" was a fertile male capable of sex with a woman. Looking at Mrs. Kitsune's attitudes toward her sister and to lesbianism, could they be related? They might be, and if there was emotional entanglement, a sperm donor sounds like a fairly reasonable option.

Based on Edward's attitudes toward them, I'd say there are two known suspects who could have become Van's father in the old-fashioned way: Adrian Raven, and Susan's dad. Adrian pretty much had to be sincere about what he said about how Susan and Diane came to descend from him, but Van's much younger than Diane. And Susan's cheating dad who cheated kinda sounds like he would have spread his pollen to many a flower.

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2 hours ago, ChronosCat said:
8 hours ago, Tom Sewell said:

If Lavender is going to be seen with Edward in public, and the Uryuom are supposed to be kept secret, she's going to need to be disguised--like William and Gillian. How long has Edward been planning for Tedd to provide this service?

This stems from a more "wacky" phase of the comic, so I wouldn't be shocked if Dan retconned it, but up to this point Uryuoms have been able to walk around in public without most people seeming to suspect there's anything strange about them. The reason Will and Gill wanted clone forms was not because they couldn't be seen in public, but just because they thought they could fit in a bit better.

Yes, the idea that uryuoms are walking around in public in T-shirts saying "human" seems wacky. On the other hand, I think it would be quite hard to retcon it out, considering it's mentioned as example how Edward coverups works in context of covering up Ellen. Also, remember that half school saw Nanase floating in air ... and that Moperville news are considered as serious as tabloids. This may be preparation to "hey, there is so much weird stuff happening in Moperville that Uryuom REALLY can walk on street without disguise".

Anyway: no matter how wacky it sounds, I would be shocked if Dan tries to retconn it, because unless he redraws years of comics it would make the comics as whole make LESS sense, not more.

1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:
3 hours ago, hkmaly said:

There IS also option she had normal sex with someone without getting emotionally entangled or at least married.

Quite so. Provided, of course, that the "someone else" was a fertile male capable of sex with a woman. Looking at Mrs. Kitsune's attitudes toward her sister and to lesbianism, could they be related?

Isn't that attitude quite common in Japan?

1 hour ago, Tom Sewell said:

They might be, and if there was emotional entanglement, a sperm donor sounds like a fairly reasonable option.

I don't think so. Sure, Noriko doesn't have Tedd ... she is "only" legendary monster hunter and wizard.

Also, if Noriko had a long-term girlfriend, wouldn't it be almost as bad as being married?

Actually, Noriko might be married to a woman without problems.

 

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