El Goonish ShiVe: Look! Squirrel!

[Celestia]

I've been picturing red. But that was probably influenced by her being a fire mage in the EGS:NP Parable story arc.

Now that I think about it, the buzzed sides of her haircut are shaded darker than the rest of it. If it were all one color, it should instead look lighter, on account of her skin showing through. So the top is almost certainly dyed. … I mean, technically, it could be the sides that are dyed, but who does that?

Anyway, time for an awesome hair collage.

Yeah, that's why I think her hair is dyed. The buzzed part is probably her natural hair, which looks like a dark brown, probably.

[Lord Raziere]

Yeah, that's why I think her hair is dyed. The buzzed part is probably her natural hair, which looks like a dark brown, probably.

There is enough blondes in that picture that I am willing to stand by my assumption.

[Kish]

Huh. Between this and her earlier description of Rhoda, I wonder if she actually has something against her. That'd be new.

[Windscion]

Huh. Between this and her earlier description of Rhoda, I wonder if she actually has something against her. That'd be new.

Actually I was under the impression that Jack/Jay/Jill is trying to break the dream to protect Rhoda from the unicorn.

[Fyraltari]

Actually I was under the impression that Jack/Jay/Jill is trying to break the dream to protect Rhoda from the unicorn.

Is that what's she's doing? Is she pinching herself to wake up? Has that ever worked in the history of ever?

[Kish]

Is that what's she's doing? Is she pinching herself to wake up? Has that ever worked in the history of ever?

In the history of shared-between-a-group dreams caused by a unicorn manipulating one's magic, you mean?

[Fyraltari]

In the history of shared-between-a-group dreams caused by a unicorn manipulating one's magic, you mean?

No, I mean in the history of dreaming.

[Windscion]

Whether or not it works is less significant than the idea that she's trying. At any rate, hard to see what else she might hope to accomplish by pinching herself.
Mind you, in retrospect she may be more worried about someone asking her name and address.

[Kish]

No, I mean in the history of dreaming.

Probably about as often as pointing at someone male who you want to be female has resulted in that change happening.*

And yet, somehow I don't think that means doing so doesn't work for Ellen.

*Actually, aside from the point that ignoring magic is a bad idea here, in my experience it always works, not because you can hurt yourself in a dream but because "I realize I am dreaming and I want to wake up" results in me immediately waking up.

[Maat Mons]

I very frequently become aware that I'm dreaming. On many occasions, I've tried to wake myself from these dreams. Never once have I succeeded.

[Fyraltari]

Probably about as often as pointing at someone male who you want to be female has resulted in that change happening.*

And yet, somehow I don't think that means doing so doesn't work for Ellen.

But Jay has no control over this while Ellen knows how her magic works.

*Actually, aside from the point that ignoring magic is a bad idea here, in my experience it always works, not because you can hurt yourself in a dream but because "I realize I am dreaming and I want to wake up" results in me immediately waking up.

That really doesn't help. Jay has been aware for a good while that she's in a dream-like state.

[Kish]

Why are you assuming it's not going to work? Is there more to it than "it doesn't when I, Fyraltari, try it in nonmagical dreams"?

[Fyraltari]

Why are you assuming it's not going to work? Is there more to it than "it doesn't when I, Fyraltari, try it in nonmagical dreams"?

Because I am not aware of it ever working either in fiction or reality and it makes no sense since one can feel pain in a dream.

[Lizard Lord]

I just saw it as her pinching herself to focus on the bigger priority.

[Kish]

Because I am not aware of it ever working either in fiction or reality and it makes no sense since one can feel pain in a dream.

Well, it seems you have lost your ability to accurately say the bolded part.

[Fyraltari]

Well, it seems you have lost your ability to accurately say the bolded part.

Indeed.789

[Yuki Akuma]

Because I am not aware of it ever working either in fiction or reality and it makes no sense since one can feel pain in a dream.

To quote the current strip's commentary:

MAGIC! Intent matters with magic! Will must be asserted, an effort made!

[Rater202]

I think Jay would get along well with Grace if Jat wasn't ambiguously evil.

[KillianHawkeye]

Pinching yourself to wake up is the most cliche thing to do (at least in TV and the movies) when you think you might me dreaming and you aren't sure.

[Rater202]

So... How much longer do you think that this storyline is going to go on?

The main one, the NP is obviously ending soon.

[Calemyr]

So... How much longer do you think that this storyline is going to go on?

The main one, the NP is obviously ending soon.

Unless there's a new twist to find, I'd say we're close to done. The supposed purpose of the storyline has long been fulfilled - if wanting to do ill to bad people but resisting the desire is evil, Ashley has to accept that Elliot is the devil. Besides, she's now surrounded by people who share her talents and interests so she no longer feels like a freak. Also, there's been a heck of a lot of intel sharing that's gone on, so everyone's more or less on the same page regarding current events. The open topics that still need a little addressing are Tedd dealing with the fact that his mother had good reason to keep her distance from an utterly magic-free son, and Susan and Diane coming to grips with the fact that Raven is every bit as flabbergasted and uncertain as his new-found descendants.

Other topics that could sensibly come up:
* Possibility of Luke joining the Circle. If they're welcoming Ashley, Luke may well be worth considering. His ties with other magic users is a concern, but he's also a mage that is potentially dating a Circle member with a lot of questions. Sam is also a consideration.
* Possibility of Nioi or Kaoli dropping in. Ellen mentioned she was overdue for a visit and her experience could be helpful with a couple current problems.
* Known immortals with an interest in the Circle beyond Pandora, such as Voltaire, Zeus, and Hanma.
* Questions regarding the transformation-collecting "Smoke Wizard", who may or may not be tied to Luke.

Other than that, I think we're close to this just becoming a party montage and ending.

[Yuki Akuma]

Questions regarding the transformation-collecting "Smoke Wizard", who may or may not be tied to Luke.

We... know who she is. She's Jay.

[Calemyr]

A fair chunk of this storyline has been characters reacting to things we as the audience already know. There are perspectives and angles the individuals bring to the table that could be worth a look. I mean, look at the eyes of Diane and Susan when Sarah spells out how Raven knew all his life that he could never have children, because his mother believed that was the case and she, of all people, should know. Both of the girls were struggling with the fact that Raven was so cold as to impregnate two (maybe a heck of a lot more) women without any consideration, a detail that triggers both of their misandrist tendencies. You can see in their eyes the impact a long-established fact is having on them is having in that second. It was enough for Diane to go from never wanting to discuss it to quietly asking what her father had to say about her. That alone is probably my favorite thing in the arc so far, just those tiny eyes as their worlds become just that much bigger than the black space behind those eyes. The only thing that comes close is the revelation regarding Tedd's mother, I'm just waiting for the payoff for these two seeds to determine which is my favorite.

Edit: Okay, Monday's strip is a worthy rival. I really love the "I've already got a Susan!" That is so awkwardly beautiful.

[Kish]

And Hanma is not canon. And of all the NP storylines, "Susan played a transformation game with Rhoda, Catalina, and Ashley" strikes me as toward the bottom of the list of likely to be made canon.

[Calemyr]

Hmmm... A fair point. I assumed Hanma is canon but her stories thus far have not been and she has not been introduced to the story yet. Well, actually, I assumed Hanma was the offscreen girlfriend Greg picked up, but that's neither here nor there. Either way, she's the least critical immortal to discuss, though they've already gotten Zeus out of the way.

Edit: Actually, we have seen Hanma in canon. She was one of the immortals Voltaire campaigned to after Pandora nuked 99% of all "vampires".

[Rater202]

And Hanma is not canon. And of all the NP storylines, "Susan played a transformation game with Rhoda, Catalina, and Ashley" strikes me as toward the bottom of the list of likely to be made canon.

Hanma is canon—ignoring that Dan explicitly said that she was even if the storyline wasn't, she has appeared in the main comic and Dan has alluded to having plans for a canon story involving Liz and Ashley running into her in the commentary ft eh comic where Hanma recruits Ashley for the playtest.

[Yuki Akuma]

And Hanma is not canon. And of all the NP storylines, "Susan played a transformation game with Rhoda, Catalina, and Ashley" strikes me as toward the bottom of the list of likely to be made canon.

She has explicitly been canon since the fourth strip she ever appeared in man.

[Fyraltari]

...
It took me way too long to realize that Diane means "god-sibling" as in child whose godfather is my (biological) father.

I was rummaging through my memory to find which immortal or godlike entity she was referring to.

[Vinyadan]

About Hanma, I think she was one of the sad immortal faces that were shown when Voltaire proposed changing the rules to his colleagues.

I couldn't help but overhear the Ramones singing "we're a happy family" after I read today's strip

[Windscion]

...
It took me way too long to realize that Diane means "god-sibling" as in child whose godfather is my (biological) father.

I was rummaging through my memory to find which immortal or godlike entity she was referring to.

Well, in context that was an easy mistake to make.