Comic for Wednesday, Dec 6, 2023

[mlooney 3,417]

https://www.egscomics.com/comic/hope-007

Even if Mist has he/him pronouns, he looks a bit fem.   And it seems the the never ending NP arc is returning.

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

 

Mist may be from the long anime tradition of boys who look like girls.

 . . . . .

Another attempt to communicate through dreams?  Is the Emmisary of Magic available for technical advice?  Can Grace bring an end to the Punic Wars?

 

[mlooney 3,417]

Based on the commentary this is setting up to be the Parable dream.  

[ijuin 572]

2 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Mist may be from the long anime tradition of boys who look like girls.

Dan has established that Human/Uryuom Seyunolu tend to be gender-ambiguous in their native appearance.

[Amiable Dorsai 70]

This could be interesting, who do we know about? Nanase, possibly her mom, Edward, probably Tedd, if sheer power is the marker for royalty, Grace for sure, Rhoda?

And why do the other members of the conspiracy think Mist's plan is a bad idea? Are we about to see wacky hijinks? Wacky hijinks would be fun.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

I reread the Parable NP arc after seeing this comic, and knowing about Mist does add depth; the appearance of the unicorn makes sense now.

The Three Otherside Stooges appear to have some nefarious plan to 'steal' Royalty status to transfer it to someone on their side. I don't get how they can do that, but it portends to be a thing that would be less that favorable for the person with the Royalty status. This makes the unicorn (aka Mistucorn) even more malevolent for picking on Rhoda.

Rhoda being singled out as Royalty is a bit of an outlier. She got her magic through being magic marked, and she did not have any particular control or awareness at first, then she developed rapidly. I do not recall the criteria of being Royalty, but it seems that there is more in Rhoda's background than has been revealed so far.

Jay was a hero in the end for breaking the unicorn's contact with Rhoda by waking herself up and removing her dream magic. This seems to be a shout out to her being a basically decent person.

Grace took notes and expects trouble from a unicorn who is looking for Royalty. Kudos, kid.

Jay vice Arthur seems to have a lot in common with Tedd vice Edward in terms of their view of making magic available, although Tedd seems to be further down the road of seeing the downsides. Jay had a genuine concern for Arthur's well being so her issues do not override her familial affection for her grandparent. Given all of that, a few hints about her not having her stance figured out, and her penMchant for gossip, she seems basically a little more than average immature for her age, but not irredeemable.

People that Susan does not explicitly know, such as Larry and Rich, appear as NPCs in this dream. She's employed at a video store; she may have met them, but it seems oddly specific that they appear. I think Susan does not know Rhoda at the time Parable is taking place (although she may have heard of Rhoda from hanging out with Catalina), but both Susann and Rhoda are dreamers, not NPCs, and Susan (not knowing that) becomes protective of her likely due to Rhoda's demeanor. Susan is at this point very much meta-gaming, Rhoda does not appear to be. She run into Catalina, who is also dreaming (after the NPC dispel, Catalina is still present, so she is a dreamer), in a tavern and they relive their romance in the dream.

Within the context of Parable, Susan overcame her no physical contact stance because the game continually cleaned her; it was a plot point established early in the arc. She farmed rental properties, then lowered the rents which gave her much purity frequently. With this new freedom in her dream, she quickly gets fairly frisky with an even more buff version of Elliot; she also seems more comfortable in her skin. Or not her own skin, as she is potentially taller, buffer, and more filled out in-game. (The more filled out is often evident in the Parable, both her boobs and her butt.) She begins showing other signs of sexual interest. This is maybe indicated a few times later with Jay and with Grace, also here with Catalina and Rhoda. So, if she got over her neuroses, she is not ace, she is clearly interested in Elliot, but may be bi.

When Susan first confronts Jay (who is still masked) they have not explicitly met (see above regarding Larry and Rich); Jay seems to know a bit about her anyway. My initial take on this is this wasn't well thought out, (but the knowledge is pretty generic, and it didn't derail the plot), but Jay also knows a bit about Tedd, apparently for no good reason; perhaps she read her grandfather's notes? . . . and maybe she had similar access to notes about his friends. 'Why aren't you the Hero of Melee' seems to say she knows about Susan's weapon summoning ability, confirmed on the next page. 'Glory Pig' seems judgemental and immature.

Jay also has control over significant parameters of the dream but is not fully in control. NPC Arthur seems to reflect Jay's opinion of Arthur as a wet blanket. This comes up again later. Once she becomes important to the plot as the Hero of Magic, she is captured. When Susan rescues Jay, they cooperate well, Susan carrying an even more diminutive Jay on her back while Jay throws fireballs at bandits. Jay continues with judgemental snarky comments, which out her as not an NPC. She was uses the persuasive speech spell she learned from Diane; but it did not override Susan's analytic ability. Then it gets interesting.

Jay responds to Susan's apology that she enjoyed being held and powerless. Susan's expression and what appears to be blushing might indicate that this is a bit of a turn on for her as well. (Also, Jay is well endowed in Parable, being a magic user in its game, you can see the contrast with her actual figure at the end of the arc, and she is subject to wardrobe malfunctions that don't seem to have a clear cause.) Jay is at least a bit hypocritical; having called Susan a nerd for making a Star Trek reference, she makes her own, albeit internal, Star Trek reference.

Given what we've seen of these characters, Susan would be a good match for some. She seemed to be a good balance with Elliot; their interactions seem to bring out the best in them. She would probably be good with Jay, bringing some perspective to Jay's antics.

Then there is the potential polycule that's been hinted at, with even a shout out in the Parable arc.

Other things hinted at, the good squirrel, bad squirrel conflict may well reference an internal struggle Grace faces. Extreme shrinking of Ashley was foreshadowed. Mist is a bit slow here (can see what magical powers people have while interacting with them in their dreams, but failed to allow that they might not be aware of it in the dream) and here (revealed information he probably should not have). Mist in the Parable and in today's comic has Seyunolu hair antennae. Mist doesn't seem evil, he didn't attack Catalina, but clearly misguided and doesn't understand the humans of this side.

Today's comic indicates Mist is a loose cannon in his own organization. This whole operation, the Parable arc, was something the people he works for did not want.

In the commentary, the name, 'Fraud King' does not bode well.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

39 minutes ago, Amiable Dorsai said:

This could be interesting, who do we know about? Nanase, possibly her mom, Edward, probably Tedd, if sheer power is the marker for royalty, Grace for sure, Rhoda?

And why do the other members of the conspiracy think Mist's plan is a bad idea? Are we about to see wacky hijinks? Wacky hijinks would be fun.

I don't think Grace is Royalty. She's Seyunolu.

I'd guess Noriko as well, maybe her sister, and also probably Adrian. Then maybe Diane and Susan and Van.

I'd also guess that Royalty still needs to awaken, it's not automatic.

[Amiable Dorsai 70]

Noriko and Van are overseas, so probably won't be covered. I don't know what gives someone a Royal aura. Speculating based on Edward and Nanase, it's sheer power, thus my guess that Tedd, Grace, and Rhoda might be "Royal." But I've long since learned that Dan and I don't think alike, it could be just a thing that runs in families.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

3 hours ago, Amiable Dorsai said:

Noriko and Van are overseas, so probably won't be covered.

Probably not soon. I expect Dan will cover them eventually, although at the pace of the comic, I'd add 'if he lives that long'. Tedd and Van getting to know each other was foreshadowed when Magic spoke to Van alone after Tedd and Arthur were sent back.

 

3 hours ago, Amiable Dorsai said:

I don't know what gives someone a Royal aura. Speculating based on Edward and Nanase, it's sheer power, thus my guess that Tedd, Grace, and Rhoda might be "Royal." But I've long since learned that Dan and I don't think alike, it could be just a thing that runs in families.

I think some sense of inheritance is involved, just like it is for 'royalty' in our world. <shrug> Could be wrong.

[ijuin 572]

4 hours ago, Amiable Dorsai said:

. I don't know what gives someone a Royal aura. Speculating based on Edward and Nanase, it's sheer power, thus my guess that Tedd, Grace, and Rhoda might be "Royal." 

Hmm, our invading trio’s plan involves creating an Uryuom/Seyunolu Royal. What would be their reaction to finding that Grace is effectively one already? Would they try to draft her for their cause, willingly or not?

[Darth Fluffy 302]

8 hours ago, ijuin said:

Hmm, our invading trio’s plan involves creating an Uryuom/Seyunolu Royal. What would be their reaction to finding that Grace is effectively one already? Would they try to draft her for their cause, willingly or not?

Grace mostly uses Seyunolu transformation magic. She also flies, which makes no sense and does telekinesis through her antennae, which also makes little sense; the flying may be an aspect of the telekinesis. Those are both innate to her form (she can't fly unless she is in the battle form or maybe some variant), not human magic. She can do a  little human magic  , more since the change, as can the other Uryuoms and Seyunolus, but it has been a plot point that her innate Seyunolu abilities inhibit her ability to do human style magic.

It is a fictional universe, subject to retcon, but up to now, indications are that Grace does not have a Royalty aura. She had an aura that freaked out Luke, but it was not nearly as bright as Tedd's. (Also, he apparently can not see the auras as forms, or possibly neither one of them were Royalty.) Grace is strong in a kind of magic, but it is not the kind tied to being Royalty.

The same can be said of Mist. Mist is a Seyunolu, can invade dreams, can mask his and his comrades' appearance. But he is not Royalty.

Bear in mind that the griffins are powerful casters, and do not have the royalty aura.

The notion of stealing an aura seems a bit horrific. I wonder if it steals ability as well. I also wonder if Liam is actually a good guy.

The Three Otherside Stooges and Liam as well are making assumptions about Royalty on the EGS side based on conditions on their own side. Liam, at least, has direct experience with Edward that says his assumptions don't apply. He should also know from whatever he was told by Tara and Andrea about Nanase that things are different. Although, he might have come to the conclusion, "They aren't using their auras, it won't matter if we take one."

[Amiable Dorsai 70]

33 minutes ago, Darth Fluffy said:

I also wonder if Liam is actually a good guy.

"One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." Liam's place on the good/evil axis is probably in the eye of the beholder.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

1 minute ago, Amiable Dorsai said:

"One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." Liam's place on the good/evil axis is probably in the eye of the beholder.

So who are the 'good guys' in Israel today? I'd go with 'no one'. If you are harming innocents, you are not a good guy.

[mlooney 3,417]

2 hours ago, Darth Fluffy said:

She also flies, which makes no sense and does telekinesis through her antennae, which also makes little sense; the flying may be an aspect of the telekinesis. Those are both innate to her form (she can't fly unless she is in the battle form or maybe some variant),

She has said that her flight was from telekinesis.

 

[Darth Fluffy 302]

So I went back and reread the contact with Liam. Liam has a distinct prejudice against Royalty (2nd panel). He is convinced that they are coercive, in spite of a. being from a different universe and b. Tara and Andrea's relating Nanase's unawareness of what Royalty was. If he's not evil, he is definitely a bonehead. 'Things must be the way I imagine them to be.'

Details about Royalty aura: Only humans, Looks like a crown - associated with power, so may need training; also some people have power but not the Royalty aura (all on last linked comic). Also there is a hint that Edward thinks Tedd does not have a Royalty aura.

(We don't know if Edward can see this aura or not. Wouldn't someone who had one be almost blinded by it if they could see it?)

This comic makes more sense, now.

[ijuin 572]

Given how proud Liam is of bearing the name “Tyrant-Slayer”, it is probable that he believes that he is fighting against tyranny by aiding the attempt to create a Royal Uryuom.

Hmm, I just had another idea—might this project and also the project which created Damien both be parts of a larger movement to produce Royal-like Seyunolu? This would make it a Manhattan-Project-like endeavor to acquire the most powerful weapons known to mortal beings in order to establish a form of “nuclear deterrence” for the Uryuoms to demand better treatment.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

Found one more that is more relevant now. The foundations of a bad plan, and Liam's prejudice. Presumably the speaking voice at the end is 'Fraud King'.

The cameos - three people confirmed to have Royalty aura; Nanase, Edward, and Rhoda; then a blonde girl I don't recognize; too tall to be Sarah, hair is too long to be Diane; then Luke juxtaposed with 'we might find someone with an ability to use to find them (Royalty)'; then a silhouette of the speaker.

[ijuin 572]

The rectangular dialogue boxes with the gray dashed border do seem to be Fraud King speaking, whereas Mist has rounded boxes with normal borders.

From the general set-up, Mist is a zealot who believes in the cause, while Fraud King is very likely to let the power go to his head and become the very sort of tyrant that he claims to oppose.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

22 hours ago, ijuin said:

The rectangular dialogue boxes with the gray dashed border do seem to be Fraud King speaking, whereas Mist has rounded boxes with normal borders.

From the general set-up, Mist is a zealot who believes in the cause, while Fraud King is very likely to let the power go to his head and become the very sort of tyrant that he claims to oppose.

One of the Three Otherside Stooges uses that same dashed border, so we can assume that is the Fraud King, Saou. The other uses an octagonal speech frame, a rectangle with the corners clipped. I'd assume that's Potestas, 'Our future king's protector'. What's the point of a protector if he is not present? So we have names for all three of them. Presumably, Potestas is the tall one.

Side note, Dan is not consistent with using the distinct borders.

I'm going to guess that the magic staff thing they are lugging around is the Royalty aura capture device.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program, Horsing Around with Mist.