Gunnerkrigg Court 7: Psychopomp and Circumstance

[Typewriter]

Ysengrin is dangerous but he's also a wild animal empowered by a crazy coyote god. And both are manifestations of stories told by humans. Shouldn't they be held to different standards than humans - they have a different culture, a different society - and it's one that Annie chose and continues to show preference towards. It seems odd to me to accept her choice to live in a place that's more wild and natural with dangers and threats and then criticize those dangers and threats compared to Court standards.

[eee]

Her hair is actually longer. Either going full fire elemental really speeds up hair growth, or a lot of time has passed during this conversation. Or Mr. Siddell made a mistake...

(Ysengrin knew what the Court was planning, but Loup doesn't? Odd disconnect, there.)

[Typewriter]

(Ysengrin knew what the Court was planning, but Loup doesn't? Odd disconnect, there.)

Coyote was once a lake that forgot he was Coyote - the idea that he can fundamentally change and lose part of his memory/existence isn't that out of place for him.

[Mith]

Her hair is actually longer. Either going full fire elemental really speeds up hair growth, or a lot of time has passed during this conversation. Or Mr. Siddell made a mistake...

(Ysengrin knew what the Court was planning, but Loup doesn't? Odd disconnect, there.)

I would say that embracing her elemental side accelerated her hair growth due to her hair being a symbolic representation of that part of her nature.

[guttering flame]

Spoiler: New page

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A shocking revelation or just an expensive, stupid loupy joke?

Is that scorched earth in the last panel?

[SZbNAhL]

Spoiler: New page

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A shocking revelation or just an expensive, stupid loupy joke?

Is that scorched earth in the last panel?

Spoiler

Show

I know Tom likes his plot twists, but I somehow doubt that he'd kill off all characters save three (four if you count Loup as two) off-screen like that. Then again, ghosts have been shown to exist in this universe...

[hajo]

Is that scorched earth in the last panel?

I think it is just the court under that shield, maybe a bit 'downsized'.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

On the other hand, putting Annie through a timeskip without her knowledge does seem like a Coyote thing to do. I'm assuming normal biological needs were provided for during the process. She doesn't look particularly hungry or thirsty.

Also, we're desperately in need of a test case that shows whether or not Loup retained Coyote's "not lying" feature. In hindsight that seems like a restriction Coyote put on himself for fun, and Loup is different enough that it's not obvious he'll feel the same. He is trying to pull back the gifts Coyote willingly gave away, for one.

[137beth]

Her hair is actually longer. Either going full fire elemental really speeds up hair growth, or a lot of time has passed during this conversation.

Whelp, looks like you called that one.

[guttering flame]

Yelp, Annie will now be in the kiddie classroom while all her former classmates do graduation.

[5a Violista]

So...Jones has likely been in orbit for months.

[eee]

No revelation of exactly what Loup's little trick was. I suppose it's going to be extremely unfortunate. And irritating.

So...Jones has likely been in orbit for months.

Moxana points for you!

Let's see. The Earth Impact Effects Program:

https://impact.ese.ic.ac.uk/ImpactEarth/ImpactEffects/

We'll give Jones a diameter of 1 meter, a density of 10,000 (Jones, after all. The program doesn't account for indestructible objects), she's falling slow so we'll assume 8 km/s, impact angle of 45 degrees, and...

She'll leave a noticeable crater. And it won't be good to be under her. And clothing... Oops. Other than that, things will be fine.

[sihnfahl]

No revelation of exactly what Loup's little trick was. I suppose it's going to be extremely unfortunate. And irritating.

Given the emptiness, presumably moved it far away from the forest, or shrank it.

[eee]

Annie, I think that's the wrong word. Loup will take that as a compliment. Perhaps what you should have said was "boundaries'.

[Drascin]

Oh no. It turns out Kat has terrible taste.

(Seriously, Kat, Vegeta?)

[Lizard Lord]

Oh no. It turns out Kat has terrible taste.

(Seriously, Kat, Vegeta?)

Maybe its only because the majority of my experiences with Dragon Ball are through the DBZ Abridged series, but Vegeta is my second favorite Dragon Ball character (first being Krillin.)

[Landis963]

Oh no. It turns out Kat has terrible taste.

(Seriously, Kat, Vegeta?)

Maybe it was Paz' idea.

[eee]

Out of all possible anime couples, why Vegeta and Bulma? Something WEIRD there.

[eee]

Oh. Yes. Of course Jones - or more accurately, her partners - would have problems with certain dances.

I REALLY want to see Jones dance ballet, now!!!

[Iruka]

Oh. Yes. Of course Jones - or more accurately, her partners - would have problems with certain dances.

I REALLY want to see Jones dance ballet, now!!!

She would probably start drilling intp the ground when doing a Pirouette en pointe.

[AdmiralCheez]

Oh hey, a thing that makes Tony relatable! I can totally believe he'd get stuck on one of those journeys through knowledge.

[jwhouk]

Hopefully he never finds out about tvtropes.org.

[NRSASD]

So on the one hand, I'm glad something is finally happening in Gunnerkrigg. Loup is certainly raising the stakes and presenting himself as a direct antagonist to... everyone. This gives Gunnerkrigg a sense of direction that it sometimes really needs. So I should be happy about this storyline...

But I'm not. I'm really not enjoying Loup as a character, but I can't figure out why. He superficially checks all the boxes of what a villain needs to be, right? So why am I feeling vaguely bored instead of anxious/excited/dread/anticipation? Anyone else feel this way?

[eee]

It is always good to have a backup plan.

So on the one hand, I'm glad something is finally happening in Gunnerkrigg. Loup is certainly raising the stakes and presenting himself as a direct antagonist to... everyone. This gives Gunnerkrigg a sense of direction that it sometimes really needs. So I should be happy about this storyline...

But I'm not. I'm really not enjoying Loup as a character, but I can't figure out why. He superficially checks all the boxes of what a villain needs to be, right? So why am I feeling vaguely bored instead of anxious/excited/dread/anticipation? Anyone else feel this way?

It's not boredom, for me. More that Loup just rubs me completely the wrong way. I don't like him as a villain, or even a character. I don't want him to get a comeuppance that leaves him sobbing before he dies, I just want him gone. I think it's because, there's no there, there. He has no center, no focus, there's nothing beyond his desire to have everything Coyote had with no apparent intention of using that power for anything. He's a collection of the worst mannerisms of Coyote and Ysengrin, and that seems to be it.

[SZbNAhL]

I think it's because, there's no there, there. He has no center, no focus, there's nothing beyond his desire to have everything Coyote had with no apparent intention of using that power for anything. He's a collection of the worst mannerisms of Coyote and Ysengrin, and that seems to be it.

Couldn't have put it better myself. It's like a textbook case of somebody playing a CN character really really badly in D&D.

[AdmiralCheez]

Coyote was at least mysterious, and you never really knew what his plans were, which made him more threatening. He could be working toward a greater good, he could be working to destroy the court, or he could just be bored and looking for something to do.

Loup is just a direct threat, opposed to the court and has no control on the forest. He just doesn't fit thematically with the themes of mystery and discovery this story has going for it.

[NRSASD]

It's not boredom, for me. More that Loup just rubs me completely the wrong way. I don't like him as a villain, or even a character. I don't want him to get a comeuppance that leaves him sobbing before he dies, I just want him gone.

Yeah, that's my thoughts exactly. I say vaguely bored because, frankly, what happens to Loup is of no importance to me. He could rocket off into space, or fall asleep, or be burned alive, and I'd have the same reaction: "Oh, he's gone? Cool."

I think it's because, there's no there, there. He has no center, no focus, there's nothing beyond his desire to have everything Coyote had with no apparent intention of using that power for anything. He's a collection of the worst mannerisms of Coyote and Ysengrin, and that seems to be it.

You're right, he's an extremely one note character that has demonstrated absolutely no ambition or drive. He has all the power in the world and he wants to be a jerk with it? That's it? Ysengrin had his rage and Coyote had his playful cruelty, but Loup has nothing.

[TaRix]

You're right, he's an extremely one note character that has demonstrated absolutely no ambition or drive. He has all the power in the world and he wants to be a jerk with it? That's it? Ysengrin had his rage and Coyote had his playful cruelty, but Loup has nothing.

Well, he does have his Bowser crush on Antimony. But I don't like Loup's presence, either.

[jwhouk]

Loup is like Xykon without the witty wisecracks and cultural references.

[Nettlekid]

I hate Loup because I'm sure that most people are pronouncing the "p" in his name. Which they should not be.