Girl Genius XXVII: Hoy! Hennybody else not dead?

[theangelJean]

I think Targamesh has mellowed from "hatred in arms" into a healthy "bromance". Tarvek might not have realized that he trusts Gil, but I think he has at least started dealing rationally with his primary competition.

You think? I thought the bromance aspect was obvious as far back as the original Si Vales Valeo transfer arc. I've been on the polyamory shipping side ever since. It'll make succession a little difficult, but that's the whole point of this comic, isn't it? :P

[HandofShadows]

I think Targamesh has mellowed from "hatred in arms" into a healthy "bromance". Tarvek might not have realized that he trusts Gil, but I think he has at least started dealing rationally with his primary competition.

I think it is most obvious on This Page what he really feels even if he doesn't think about it.

[keybounce]

My reaction to panel 2 is more of "What is Agatha up to?!!".

[Rogar Demonblud]

I think it is most obvious on This Page what he really feels even if he doesn't think about it.

It's always fun to see Tarvek when he drops his 'cool and aloof' facade. Although maybe not for the people on the receiving end.

[Wayson]

It's always fun to see Tarvek when he drops his 'cool and aloof' facade. Although maybe not for the people on the receiving end.

So much of his carefully crafted personality is intended to present him as a meek non-threat. Whereas Gil can run around smashing things and pulverizing monsters, Tarvek seems to prefer being more of an eminence grise who relies on careful planning and contingency preparations. He's only really cut loose a few times that I can think of, and on at least two of those (fighting Mr. Obsidian and Jaron) he's been wildly outmatched and used as a punching bag. Hopefully we see him evenly matched more often in the future.

[Mechalich]

So much of his carefully crafted personality is intended to present him as a meek non-threat. Whereas Gil can run around smashing things and pulverizing monsters, Tarvek seems to prefer being more of an eminence grise who relies on careful planning and contingency preparations. He's only really cut loose a few times that I can think of, and on at least two of those (fighting Mr. Obsidian and Jaron) he's been wildly outmatched and used as a punching bag. Hopefully we see him evenly matched more often in the future.

Tarvek's combat training is, primarily, Smoke Knight training, which is far more geared towards stealth, misdirection, and the occasional shiv to the kidneys than any ovet displays of awesomeness. So it makes sense that, even when he does utilize the full scope of his combat training it's still going to come off much more subtle than whatever rampaging blend of fighting styles Gil happens to be using.

[Grif]

Am I seeing things, or is that the Professora herself making a cameo again?

[otakuryoga]

dat triple face after she explains what they are there for....

it was all explained in the morning briefings at Jager boot camp
(they really shouldn't have skipped those)

[theangelJean]

Am I seeing things, or is that the Professora herself making a cameo again?

The Professora gets her information from trashy novels?

Hang on, what was she a Professora of, again? If it were fiction-related (as the Professor is a story collector) that might even make sense...

New theory: the Jagers are there as a distraction, yes, but what's really going on is a Jager public relations exercise.

Yeah, I know, it's probably something else.

[Ibrinar]

That matches todays smbc pretty well.^^ (I suppose i should link so this post still has its context in a few days https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/humans-2)

[Manga Shoggoth]

"And live happily ever after!"

Hmmm. I think she's expecting a little much form the Jagerkin. I grant you that Oggie has form in this area, but I don't think that's general...

[Fyraltari]

Now, now, Dimo. You are there for dancing. Maxim and Oggie, however...

[Rogar Demonblud]

So, Dimo and Da Boiz just found out they're the equivalent of a rogue noble in trash romance books. I wonder if Dimo wants to go back to private yet.

[Scarlet Knight]

Considering Maxim's hat, I had guessed he already made at least one conquest tonight.

Ooooh, they're not confused about the "bestial wiles"; they're confused about the "Jager Queen" part.

[wingnutx]

Hy iz also gun have to read dese books.

[Squire Doodad]

How many pages until this scene wraps up, anyways
I don't mind a bit of sidetracking, but we were at a 20 pages from leaving England point months ago, so...

APparently we're headed to Africa next? Are the Fogolios making the most of the last time we get to see select members of the cast and an absurd assortment of European design?

[Aidan305]

Am I seeing things, or is that the Professora herself making a cameo again?

Said Professora has confirmed on Facebook that yes, it is the Professora.

[Rogar Demonblud]

So, we've been in Britain long enough for her and the other professor to drag King Chroma all the way to Transylvania Polygnostic, go through the paperwork for returning a missing faculty member, go through all the hearings to get her expenses reimbursed and for her to travel to London, wrangle an invitation to the party, etc.

Let's say it again, folks. Pacing!

[BRC]

So, we've been in Britain long enough for her and the other professor to drag King Chroma all the way to Transylvania Polygnostic, go through the paperwork for returning a missing faculty member, go through all the hearings to get her expenses reimbursed and for her to travel to London, wrangle an invitation to the party, etc.

Let's say it again, folks. Pacing!

There were two professors in the party. clearly she fobbed the job off on her partner and caught the next airship from Paris to England.

[Rockphed]

Do I want to know what sort of novels are being referenced here, or am I better off in blissful ignorance?

[Rogar Demonblud]

By the sounds of it, the extra trashy side of Harlequin 'romances', which are really just toxic relationships in fancy dress.

[Vinyadan]

By the sounds of it, the extra trashy side of Harlequin 'romances', which are really just toxic relationships in fancy dress.

Is that why Harley Quinn has that name?

[Rockphed]

Is that why Harley Quinn has that name?

Partially. Harlequinn has a clown as their imprint, so I suspect they are both drawing from the same well.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Not directly. Her name stems from Harlequin in the commedia del arte, who is a trickster primarily noted for beating the snot out of the respectable citizen in the personage of Pierrot. The name got broadened into generally a rogue who lives by their wits, which is also a stock character in romance books. Which is probably what influenced her relationship with Joker, instead of her being a generic gun moll as originally intended.

[Rodin]

For some reason Google's advertising algorithms have decided that I'm the perfect audience for the manga equivalent of Harlequin romance novels, despite me not reading either manga or romance novels. The ads are hilariously trashy, complete with "bad boys" in the vein of what the Professora is imagining.

[Scarlet Knight]

Do I want to know what sort of novels are being referenced here, or am I better off in blissful ignorance?

"Love Prisoners of the Jagers" has got to be included in the "Xxxenophile: Girl Genius Edition".

[Traab]

Im guessing they arent in the vein of harlequin romance novels as those are pretty formulaic and bland from what I remember back in my youth when I read them for awhile. These sound like the sort of bodice ripper housewife porn that doesnt get released under a single umbrella but there are tons of them out there with a wide assortment of settings and setups. They tend to be more explicit and involved than harlequin.

[theangelJean]

Im guessing they arent in the vein of harlequin romance novels as those are pretty formulaic and bland from what I remember back in my youth when I read them for awhile. These sound like the sort of bodice ripper housewife porn that doesnt get released under a single umbrella but there are tons of them out there with a wide assortment of settings and setups. They tend to be more explicit and involved than harlequin.

I think "formulaic and bland" is just one part of the spectrum, that goes all the way from "cliche and erotic" at one end to "cliche and moralistic" at the other. That is, I've read some from both ends; the ones with ultra-conservative moralising disguised as "romance" are particularly annoying. I would assume "formulaic and bland" is somewhere in the middle.

Edit to avoid double-posting:

Hmm. Okay, my turn to ask again, what is Agatha up to? (And is this yet more of the distraction?)

[Rogar Demonblud]

I was not expecting that last panel. How many vertices are we up to on the Heterodyne Romantic Entanglements Polyhedron?

[Traab]

This is a big deal. You do NOT just up and ask the queen to dance like this. This is violating so much protocol I cant even begin to go through it all. Point blank, you dont touch royalty first off. Thats a massive diplomatic snafu. If this were martellus, I would take this as an attempt at a political power move. The queen can either smack him down for his presumption and hurt their official relationship, or agree to dance despite it violating all the rules of propriety that he would be absolutely certain to know about and thus put him in a position where she bowed to his wish. But agatha? Im not sure what this is all about, as the queen said, she is riding a bit of a giddy high at being free of lucrezia finally, and freeing gil from the baron as well, so she may just be enthusiastic and wanting to put on a good show for the crowd by dancing with the queen without actually understanding how bold of a move that was. On the other hand, she isnt an idiot. Even riding a revivification rush she was under control enough to channel it into inventing until gil and tarvek made her snap, so its entirely possible she is putting on this show to get the chance to talk to the queen face to face while making everyone at court flutter over the scandal of it all.

A final option, something is very very wrong and we are about to learn that lucrezia just somehow managed to pull something huge and tricky and the queen is about to be killed by "agatha" because her guard will be down over what strikes her as a silly bit of fun, not a threat to her life. Not too likely, but it would give us a nice bit of symmetry of agatha leaving dead world leaders behind her everywhere she goes. :p