El Goonish Shive X: Please Don't Feel Bad

[Maat Mons]

It's curious how someone would notice the name "Mist", and not notice the pronouns listed "(He / Him)", since they are in the same information box.

"Mist" was written much, much bigger.

[tyckspoon]

Wow, that is one pretty boy. Like Noah. Is that just how Seyunolu look?

I mean, I'm not complaining...

I think he's currently in a femme form? Possibly to make the 'harmless old ladies' projection easier to maintain by putting it over a more closely matched base shape. Or he could just look like that too :shrug:

[Errorname]

I think he just looks like that.

Really curious to see how this arc handles integrating the Parable stuff, because there's so many ways that could go bad.

[Anonymouswizard]

"Mist" was written much, much bigger.

Also in a shade that contrasted more with the background, I also missed their his pronouns.

On today's comic, looks like the trio are going to be delayed a while as they keep assuming both sides are the same. I'm also calling it now, someone (I'm betting Tedd or Nanase, but maybe Edward) will willingly sacrifice their 'royal' aura once one of them actually thinks to just ask.

[Yuki Akuma]

Also in a shade that contrasted more with the background, I also missed their his pronouns.

On today's comic, looks like the trio are going to be delayed a while as they keep assuming both sides are the same. I'm also calling it now, someone (I'm betting Tedd or Nanase, but maybe Edward) will willingly sacrifice their 'royal' aura once one of them actually thinks to just ask.

I really doubt anyone will willingly sacrifice their 'royal' aura. I don't think that's really a thing you can give away without also losing your entire magical aura and, thus, ability to actually do magic. All three of those people depend too much on magic to just give it away.

These characters are villains, even if they have something approaching a good reason. They want to steal something important from an innocent person and they're trying to convince themselves their target isn't innocent.

[Gez]

These characters are villains

Also we have the author's notes about how one of them is literally named Fraud King; just in case that wasn't clear enough.

[Anonymouswizard]

These characters are villains, even if they have something approaching a good reason.

Ah, more villain than Hedge and Vladia but less so than Damien and Tom (not Good Tom), got it.

[Manga Shoggoth]

The thing that I found hilarious ws Arthur's response at the end. Everyone else was variations of "Well, that happened", and he's going over the top because this his job and he's supposed to know what's going on. I mean, he took the meeting with the Wil of Magic with much better grace...

[tyckspoon]

The thing that I found hilarious ws Arthur's response at the end. Everyone else was variations of "Well, that happened", and he's going over the top because this his job and he's supposed to know what's going on. I mean, he took the meeting with the Wil of Magic with much better grace...

At risk of autopsy-ing the joke but I'm pretty sure what he's reacting to is being treated as a casual acquaintance by somebody he doesn't actually know. 'Something weird happened and we're not quite sure what yet' is just part of the job. "This random person treated me like they know me" is a high level Problem for a social introvert.

[Devlerbat]

I am not even sure how logical Sybil's logical explanation is (and I am not just referring the fact that we know it's not the cause) as I would wager Arthur would use an alias when giving random civilians his name (including baristas, favorite coffee shop or not).

[Silly Name]

I am not even sure how logical Sybil's logical explanation is (and I am not just referring the fact that we know it's not the cause) as I would wager Arthur would use an alias when giving random civilians his name (including baristas, favorite coffee shop or not).

He went on television and used his real name, so I don't think he's that reserved that he'd use a fake name in a public setting.

[Beelzebub1111]

So this happened a bit after the Fable parody in NP where we learned that Rhoda is the target of Mist, the Nightstalion. Also he's super creepy judging by his first appearance.

[Fyraltari]

At risk of autopsy-ing the joke but I'm pretty sure what he's reacting to is being treated as a casual acquaintance by somebody he doesn't actually know. 'Something weird happened and we're not quite sure what yet' is just part of the job. "This random person treated me like they know me" is a high level Problem for a social introvert.

What makes you think Arthur is an introvert?

[Errorname]

What makes you think Arthur is an introvert?

It's not like we've ever seen him off-the-clock

[WanderingMist]

I am not even sure how logical Sybil's logical explanation is (and I am not just referring the fact that we know it's not the cause) as I would wager Arthur would use an alias when giving random civilians his name (including baristas, favorite coffee shop or not).

I think you may have forgotten that Arthur is a world-renowned skeptic. He probably does what modern spies do, ewhich is use their real names but lie about their jobs.

[Rater202]

So the thought occurs to me that if Immortals are no lnonger able to enter the astral realm or whatever it was when they wr intantible that, presumably, they actually need physical places to live.

Presumably, older immortals have such places and most younger ones can probably call it favors but... Hope here is probably homeless.

The Verres residence is, however, soon to have two vacated bedrooms

[Errorname]

Where Hope ends up staying is probably going to depend on who her first point of contact is. I suspect she's going to scamper from Justin in this scene, but who knows.

[Radar]

Where Hope ends up staying is probably going to depend on who her first point of contact is. I suspect she's going to scamper from Justin in this scene, but who knows.

Right now she is mostly freaked out by the memories of her older self. I'd predict it's Justin that approaches her to help as she is visibly distressed.

Frankly, what is happening now seems to explain one of the reasons why immortals typically do not try to retain much of their personality through a reset. Granted, not everyone was as messed up before reset as Pandora, but still.

[Silly Name]

Frankly, what is happening now seems to explain one of the reasons why immortals typically do not try to retain much of their personality through a reset. Granted, not everyone was as messed up before reset as Pandora, but still.

The core personality seems to be passed on from one incarnation to another (Zeus seems to like partying just as much as Jerry did, for example). What the usual Immortal reset seems to purposefully exclude is the "sense of self" associated with the incarnation that's ending, which results in the new Immortal treating their previous life as something they didn't do. They don't even really have memories of their previous life - it's more like they know those things happened, but in the same way you and I could learn about an historical figure by reading through their personal diaries, rather than feeling those memories to be our own.

Hope, instead, has retained "more" of Pandora, and so she feels as if Pandora's memories are her own... which will likely make her feel guilty for all the **** Pandora did for no other reason than **** 'n giggles, unlike other Immortal who would feel that they aren't accountable for the actions of their previou incarnations.

[Errorname]

I had many suspicions about what Hope's first point of contact with the cast might be, the comic shop card games were not one of them.

But it does make sense, Squirrel Prophet was a pretty important plotline for Pandora and she did take an interest in the games.

[halfeye]

I had many suspicions about what Hope's first point of contact with the cast might be, the comic shop card games were not one of them.

But it does make sense, Squirrel Prophet was a pretty important plotline for Pandora and she did take an interest in the games.

I do like the name "Hope", did it turn up in the comics?

[Errorname]

I do like the name "Hope", did it turn up in the comics?

Not yet, but it's in the commentaries.

[Silly Name]

I do like the name "Hope", did it turn up in the comics?

It's the story arc's title, and the very first page shows our reborn immortal. It's not official, but it's likely, for now.

[Yuki Akuma]

It's the story arc's title, and the very first page shows our reborn immortal. It's not official, but it's likely, for now.

Dan calls her Hope in the commentary for this strip.

[KillianHawkeye]

I like the progression.

First she was Pandora. Then she was the Box (when befriending Sarah). Now she's the ray of Hope.

[Radar]

I like the progression.

First she was Pandora. Then she was the Box (when befriending Sarah). Now she's the ray of Hope.

So do I. It is both appropriate new name and all three fit perfectly with the original myth.

[Errorname]

It's the story arc's title, and the very first page shows our reborn immortal. It's not official, but it's likely, for now.

Well, now it has.

Also, first payoff for the 'people recognizing people from their dreams' element.

[Reboot]

The core personality seems to be passed on from one incarnation to another (Zeus seems to like partying just as much as Jerry did, for example). What the usual Immortal reset seems to purposefully exclude is the "sense of self" associated with the incarnation that's ending, which results in the new Immortal treating their previous life as something they didn't do. They don't even really have memories of their previous life - it's more like they know those things happened, but in the same way you and I could learn about an historical figure by reading through their personal diaries, rather than feeling those memories to be our own.

Hope, instead, has retained "more" of Pandora, and so she feels as if Pandora's memories are her own... which will likely make her feel guilty for all the **** Pandora did for no other reason than **** 'n giggles, unlike other Immortal who would feel that they aren't accountable for the actions of their previous incarnations.

Yeah, but it's weird she remembers Pandora marking Justin, guilty or otherwise.

We know immortals have limited ability to pass on information to their successors, and I doubt trying to pass on actual memories rather than dry information allows more total info to be passed on, especially since the Will of Magic said she would have forgotten much. Plus, even in her most lucid ("sane") aspect, Pandora really only cared about her family - apparently including godchildren/etc like Tedd, although she was iffy on Noah until Raven's word punch forced her to think about him properly - and a few others who were nice to her or particularly impressed her (ergo, she pretty much topped out at neutral & went south fast the less lucid she was). So why include marking Justin in the infodump at all?

[Kish]

Plus, even in her most lucid ("sane") aspect, Pandora really only cared about her family

Not true. She got upset that Blaike didn't accept the warning about the magical giant lion bear before she knew him.

When she was sane, she had basic empathy. So she sees one of the random people she screwed over, remembers reflecting casually that it would be good if he accidentally murdered someone, and is shaken by the monster she was for centuries.

[Reboot]

Not true. She got upset that Blaike didn't accept the warning about the magical giant lion bear before she knew him.

When she was sane, she had basic empathy. So she sees one of the random people she screwed over, remembers reflecting casually that it would be good if he accidentally murdered someone, and is shaken by the monster she was for centuries.

Yeah, but I'm talking about 800+ year old Pandora's choice to include a full memory (not just info) dump of marking Justin, not young Pandora or "refreshed" Hope. What to pass on to Hope was the choice of Old Pandora, not Young Pandora or Hope.