Comic for May 27th, 2017: Realizing the Perks

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amenon
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Re: Comic for May 27th, 2017: Realizing the Perks

#76 Post by amenon »

Nova wrote: Mon May 29, 2017 5:43 am The other thing is Keith's expression in the second-to-last panel. Keith pouting like that? Was that ever the case in the rest of the comic?
That is, for sure, the best Keith-pout we've ever had in the canon proper. But Keith is, indeed, a very cute pouter:

Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Exhibit C

CrRAR wrote: Tue May 30, 2017 3:02 am ...and for those questioning Natani's sudden forwardness here he has been known historically to be quite gregarious while intoxicated.
Don't forget this one. Or this :grin:

avwolf wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2017 6:56 pm [aside]
amenon wrote:Another thing that amuses me about this is that it's plausibly what Zen would do. Which makes a whole lot of sense :grin:
And, amusingly enough to me, I'm not alone. :P [/aside]
Oh, come on! A reply from you, in a thread where I summoned you, and it's not about what I summoned you about? :P I'm gonna have to get a refund on these ritual candles.
amenon wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 5:35 am Also, youngTani still there. Love it! Can I get an avwolf appearance re: Encino Man? :P
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Re: Comic for May 27th, 2017: Realizing the Perks

#77 Post by avwolf »

amenon wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2017 8:05 pmOh, come on! A reply from you, in a thread where I summoned you, and it's not about what I summoned you about? :P I'm gonna have to get a refund on these ritual candles.
amenon wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 5:35 am Also, youngTani still there. Love it! Can I get an avwolf appearance re: Encino Man? :P
*laugh* "Look up your Pauly Shore references from a year ago!"

For the curious and befuddled:
avwolf wrote:See, this isn't "young Natani". This isn't a past Natani freed from a block of ice like some Encino Man. This "young Natani" is still our modern Natani, just a different aspect of her own personality. It's the sassy, take-charge, doesn't afraid of misogyny side of herself that Natani remembers best from her youth; when she was a proud woman-in-disguise in the Brotherhood, before her soul was shattered. This side of her has been strengthened, reinforced, and given voice by Natani's recent experiences: meeting a woman who leads a warrior nation. Watching a woman -- frightened, weak, and emotional -- give up her most treasured belonging and willingly sacrifice herself to buy people (who she barely knew!) a chance. This is the quiet voice in Natani's head that turned her background pink when she thought about confessing her feelings to Keith. And now that Zen's big brass man band isn't blaring, it's not such a quiet voice anymore. But this part of Natani has always been a part of Natani. Now Natani can't run from it and has to face it.
Clearly this voice in Natani's head has gotten rather less quiet. :P This "other Natani" is still here, Natani's "mind's still fractured" (as Natani sees it), but I don't see anything here that would suggest that "youngTani" is really a snapshot of Natani from the past or invalidate my supposition that this other voice in Natani's head, as much as Natani's conscious mind interprets it as something of an invader, is other than a part of our modern Natani. "Tell Keith he's cute" seems like something a modern voice for Natani would say (if he wasn't embarrassed to do so). Natani's past might compare Keith to other Keidran she'd fancied long ago, but for Natani's present, there is only Keith (well, possibly also Kat ;)). It might be an "other Natani," but it's not a past echo of Natani calling out into the future; it's a living, dynamic Natani of the modern day. YoungTani appears as Natani pictures that side of herself, as a memory, but that doesn't make this other voice just a memory.

Honestly, I wasn't struck with astonishment that this side of Natani was still around. Besides, this is a much, much funnier and less disruptive way to introduce Natani's continuing...synthesis than a pink-backgrounded panel of "I should tell him he's cute." I won't be surprised if Keith gets a dream about his father (with Alaric cameos!), as a way for him to address his new understanding of his family and how it frighteningly directly relates to Keith's own romantic choices. Natani goes to a mind forest and talks with sassy teenager Natani, Keith gets dreams about his father berating him (though I would expect this dream will involve a lot less berating); it's how their individual minds deal with their experiences.
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Re: Comic for May 27th, 2017: Realizing the Perks

#78 Post by Schrodinger »

avwolf wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2017 9:03 pmHonestly, I wasn't struck with astonishment that this side of Natani was still around. Besides, this is a much, much funnier and less disruptive way to introduce Natani's continuing...synthesis than a pink-backgrounded panel of "I should tell him he's cute." I won't be surprised if Keith gets a dream about his father (with Alaric cameos!), as a way for him to address his new understanding of his family and how it frighteningly directly relates to Keith's own romantic choices. Natani goes to a mind forest and talks with sassy teenager Natani, Keith gets dreams about his father berating him (though I would expect this dream will involve a lot less berating); it's how their individual minds deal with their experiences.
I suppose you could say that this voice in Natani's head, a fragment of a previous personality yet to be reintegrated, was always there influencing her decisions. Only now that Zen's influence is cut off can Natani hear it clearly. And it wants to tell Keith he's cute. So she does.
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Re: Comic for May 27th, 2017: Realizing the Perks

#79 Post by amenon »

avwolf wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2017 9:03 pm *laugh* "Look up your Pauly Shore references from a year ago!"
Well, I should certainly hope you have your Pauly Shore references indexed by place and person. It's just good sense! :P

avwolf wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2017 9:03 pmIt might be an "other Natani," but it's not a past echo of Natani calling out into the future; it's a living, dynamic Natani of the modern day. YoungTani appears as Natani pictures that side of herself, as a memory, but that doesn't make this other voice just a memory.
Certainly not a memory, but then, neither is the Encino Man. What I'm mostly driving at, both now and a year ago, is that she was -- indeed, still is -- distinct. Here we have our gray/brown Natani, alive (well, probably; jury is still out but strongly leaning towards 'not dead') and awake, and youngTani is still there. And while we certainly can't know for sure, it seems to me that the change in Natani is one of perspective; his attitude is changing, not because he was altered, but because he learned something. He's taken what youngTani said to heart, to the point where on several occasions he's repeated or paraphrased things she said; on the docks, in his summary to Keith, and let's count the the 'you're cute' because why not :P But I don't think he suddenly has access to memories from before the link, or to anything else that was lost. He's taking youngTani's word, but in the same way I might take yours. It's not his own knowledge; it's a new interpretation of his muddled past that's been offered to him. YoungTani is, indeed, an "other Natani."

Agree? Disagree?

Assuming she doesn't stick around forever, do you think the metaphor for her curtain call will be integration, or moving on?


P.S: Have some very belated applause for 'big brass man band' :grin:
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