Girl Genius V: Madre de Diodes!

[Mauve Shirt]

So, is this the end of Weasel Queen filler? I really really hope so.

[TigerHunter]

So, is this the end of Weasel Queen filler? I really really hope so.

I'll bet money that we're going to have at least one page of epilogue.

[eee]

Aw, one of the rabbits is crying... (sad face)

Looking at Ferretina, I'm thinking maybe she should put a smaller ring on her small ear. Or go for reverse symmetry and put the small ring on her large ear and the large ring on her small ear. Or maybe just get rid of the ear-rings altogether.

I'm also very worried about the fate of the Parisian fashion industry, now.

[Morty]

Did anyone understand anything of what the Fashion Clank was saying?

[Gez]

Did anyone understand anything of what the Fashion Clank was saying?

It's the snobby artist equivalent of technobabble: it uses real words which correspond to real concepts, but do so in a nonsensical way.

[memnarch]

So. Where do you think a giant rabbit would find employment? (the one reading the want ads)

Personally, I'm guessing sparky minion.

[zillion ninjas]

So. Where do you think a giant rabbit would find employment? (the one reading the want ads)

Personally, I'm guessing sparky minion.

Personal assistant to Jimmy Stewart?

Guarding cave entrances (with nasty, big, pointy teeth)?

[eMpTy Kay]

Sneaky Gate is open!

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I wonder if the picture Tarvek is taking will be a donation desktop someday? That would be cool!

[Gez]

Well, people should be happy: it says "Page 45 (END!)" on the footer.

[Felius]

Sneaky Gate is open!

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I wonder if the picture Tarvek is taking will be a donation desktop someday? That would be cool!

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I certainly hope so

[eee]

Interesting. Gil and Tarvek are obviously experiencing... feelings... for Agatha in her rabbit suit. Could this be (GASP) Furversion???

Or just good taste?

[Morty]

Interesting. Gil and Tarvek are obviously experiencing... feelings... for Agatha in her rabbit suit. Could this be (GASP) Furversion???

Or just good taste?

It's possible that Tarvek just wants to give her picture in a rabbit suit to the newspapers. Think of the headlines: "The Heterodyne dresses up like a rabbit!".

[Mauve Shirt]

Thank god it's finally over.

[datalaughing]

At least that answers the question of what those carrots on her arm were for. Ammo for her carrot gun.

[Mauve Shirt]

Sneaky gate!

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Oh dear, Agatha, you really do seem to be catching a bit of the evil. Just like your not-my-boyfriend!

[Porthos]

Sneaky Gate is up..

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And it is Pure Win, IMO.

And a link to last scene for continuities sake.

Sneaky gate!

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Oh dear, Agatha, you really do seem to be catching a bit of the evil. Just like your not-my-boyfriend!

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Well, it's not like we weren't warned about Mechanicsburg having an affect on Heterodynes.

I'm sure Pinky will get used to it.

[Oracle_Hunter]

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Heh, Agatha had a Freudian Grip right there [/rimshot]

[dogmac]

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Oh man, Oracle Maker, that was BAD!!!
The castle does indeed seem to behaving some effect on young Agatha.

But she is right. she can't afford to go all girly. she has to stay in control

[Knight13]

She's just having Pinky act as her girlfriend proxy until she gets the time to do it herself.

[Cyan]

Hmm. After seeing Pinky straight-up murder that girl earlier, and kneecap that other dude, I'm not buying that she's so easily cowed.

[Kalbron]

Don't forget, nobody messes lightly with a powerful spark. Unless you cut their head off, burn the body, bless the ashes, box the ashes and throw them into a volcano, nuke the volcano, nuke the region around the volcano, and then nuke every single last lab of their's and their friends' with potential access to cloning facilities (including the super secret bases!) you can't be sure that a powerful spark will stay dead.

So in the case of Agatha, yes, I think Pinky will stay cowed. At least until she can leave the city of death which obeys Agatha's every command.

[datalaughing]

I wonder if it's really just the whole Heterodyne in Mechanicsburg deal or if, maybe, the Other is leaking out here and there (choking Pinky, shooting a death ray at Moloch, etc). Because the latter would be very bad.

All Agatha really has to do to make sure Pinky and the others don't try anything is take them into the area of the castle that she controls. Then she can tell the castle, "If any of them tries anything even a little bit disloyal or sneaky, squish 'em." I'm sure the castle would be more than happy to keep an eye on them.

Then again, considering what happened to Merlot, I suppose they may already be in an area she controls.

[TigerHunter]

All Agatha really has to do to make sure Pinky and the others don't try anything is take them into the area of the castle that she controls. Then she can tell the castle, "If any of them tries anything even a little bit disloyal or sneaky, squish 'em." I'm sure the castle would be more than happy to keep an eye on them.

We're talking about Der Kestle here. It'd immediately squash them just to be on the safe side.

[Morty]

Agatha might turn out to be vun of the fun vunz yet.

[ripple]

Agatha might turn out to be vun of the fun vunz yet.

Agreed. She just out-ruthlessed Pinky, which is a start, and she's remaining focused.

Things are pretty much in a shambles otherwise, though. There are at least three separate parties right now (although we think that Tarvek+2 are holding position in the bio lab) and Gil's now no better off then Tarvek. And as soon as Gil is coherent again, he's going to tell Agatha about his father's grand plans...

[side note: That was a *year* ago...I wish I could fund this serial to make progress more quickly! I make fun of my wife for watching soap operas where nothing actually happens in 22 minutes a day...pot, meet kettle.]

--ripple

[memnarch]

...
[side note: That was a *year* ago...I wish I could fund this serial to make progress more quickly! I make fun of my wife for watching soap operas where nothing actually happens in 22 minutes a day...pot, meet kettle.]

--ripple

To be fair, the Folgios did take a "break" and draw the Weasel Queen. Otherwise they are pretty good about moving the story.

[Oracle_Hunter]

Hmm. After seeing Pinky straight-up murder that girl earlier, and kneecap that other dude, I'm not buying that she's so easily cowed.

She didn't kill the guy because she was ruthless - she did it because she was pretending to be ruthless.

Yes, Zola is willing to kill people to stay alive - even kill them without pretense. However, Zola is not CE - she doesn't kill for fun, or even easily, she does it because she has to.

Agatha may not kill for fun either, but she commands terrific forces of destruction and isn't afraid to roll a few Intimidate checks from time to time.

Also, Agatha just went Madboy on her, and nearly choked her to death in the process. That's gotta give some sort of circumstantial bonus

[Zazu Yen]

That 5 panel expression series at the very top is very telling, particularly panel four. It's Agatha coming to terms with the situation, and herself. She's not happy, this is not how she wants things to be (or who she wants to be), but she's gotten a grip on her anger and accepted what needs to be done and what needs to wait for later. Now she's determined to get the people she cares about out of this mess alive, whatever it takes.

I don't think the Other is breaking through, an Other tainted Agatha wouldn't have had that expression in panel four, nor would she have apologized for almost strangling Zola even if it was accidental.

@Oracle_Hunter: "Freudian Grip" made me lol at work, well done!

[zillion ninjas]

Things are pretty much in a shambles otherwise, though.

There are some signs of hope, though. Agatha now has a cadre of suitably-intimidated sparky minions. If any of them have more medical experience than she does, then she can send them off to take care of Tarvek (under der Kestle's watchful eye). This frees up Agatha to move on to the library, maybe after a rendezvous with Zeetha's group.

The other sparks can either stay with her or be dispatched to other areas to continue with repairs, again under der Kestle's guardianship. I figure that the same skills that got them chosen for Zola's Pinky's plan would also make them useful to Agatha.

With a bit of strategy, Agatha is now in a position to really get things moving in the right direction. Barring interference from any wildcards, of course.

[HandofShadows]

She's just having Pinky act as her girlfriend proxy until she gets the time to do it herself.

I suspect that Zola might end up getting a full time job as a proxy. sm