Gunnerkrigg Court 3: Mystery Solved!

[Ravens_cry]

Given Ysengrin reaction on the previous page, I don't think it was all "just playing around."
A test perhaps, but remember, Coyote also put a bracelet on Antimony's arm that would bite her hand off.
He is not a tame lion coyote.

[kpenguin]

Given Ysengrin reaction on the previous page, I don't think it was all "just playing around."
A test perhaps, but remember, Coyote also put a bracelet on Antimony's arm that would bite her hand off.
He is not a tame lion coyote.

Indeed.

I wonder how much diplomatic concerns with the Court concern Coyote. Atomizing a medium in training would be a Bad Thing(tm). Coyote is clever enough to understand this.... but fickle enough to not care.

[Landis963]

Given Ysengrin reaction on the previous page, I don't think it was all "just playing around."
A test perhaps, but remember, Coyote also put a bracelet on Antimony's arm that would bite her hand off.
He is not a tame lion coyote.

Also, like I said, Coyote is very interested in having Annie as an ally of the forest. He gives her the tooth, he allows her to stay for several months, he teaches her about her blinker stone, etc. Etc. In fact, the only thing he hasn't given her is a power of his a la Renard and Ysengrin, both of which have come with drawbacks he'd rather not risk(I don't think he'd want to run that experiment again, not with the risks so clearly outlined). Vaporizing someone who could be a valuable asset seems a bad idea. He is also not a moron, who knows he's taking a lot of risks with her (see also: the aforementioned wrist-snapper), and if he didn't think she could still be useful, bye bye fire-head girl.

[Ravens_cry]

Antimony is a part fire elemental, and in certain myths Coyote stole fire for humanity.
Coyote now seems to be trying to steal Fire back.

[Marnath]

I think it's cute how you're all assuming he has any sort of motivation for how he deals with Annie.
He could very well be as shallow and mercurial as he'd like us to think.

[eee]

I think it's cute how you're all assuming he has any sort of motivation for how he deals with Annie.
He could very well be as shallow and mercurial as he'd like us to think.

That COULD be true, yes. But we've gotten enough hints that Coyote is playing a deeper game that it's not very plausible. He swatted Ysegrin to save her, he's invited her into the Forest for mentoring sessions, he's cultivated a relationship between her and Ysegrin, he gave her the Tooth - a weapon of fearful and supernatural power (watch your butt, Jeanne!) - and went to extremes to make sure she told no one in the Forest about it... He's got a plan. But what it is, and if it's just going to be a massive joke, we don't know...

[Mauve Shirt]

Giving her the only weapon that can defeat Jeanne, that could mean that Coyote wants to take back the other side of the river.
Since he made the division in the first place, I'm not sure that makes much sense.

[hierophant]

Eh, I like to think Coyote is both a masterful trickster of great schemingnessosity, AND shallow and fickle.
Gotta pass the time somehow while waiting for your plans to bear fruit.

[Ravens_cry]

Eh, I like to think Coyote is both a masterful trickster of great schemingnessosity, AND shallow and fickle.
Gotta pass the time somehow while waiting for your plans to bear fruit.

It certainly fits the type.
Tricksters in mythology are often of the 'So sharp you'll cut yourself' variety of clever.

[Dr.Epic]

Nightmare fuel!!!

[Lord Tyger]

Given Ysengrin reaction on the previous page, I don't think it was all "just playing around."
A test perhaps, but remember, Coyote also put a bracelet on Antimony's arm that would bite her hand off.
He is not a tame lion coyote.

Hard to say- Ysengrin was shocked when Antimony smacked Coyote for putting his nose up her skirt too, though that time it was more outrage than concern for Antimony, for obvious reasons. But Coyote laughed that off.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

Giving her the only weapon that can defeat Jeanne, that could mean that Coyote wants to take back the other side of the river.
Since he made the division in the first place, I'm not sure that makes much sense.

As I recall it, the court set up Jeanne to be a barrier, which allowed nothing to cross the rift. Presumably Coyote wanted the ability to travel, thus the bridge "made on their terms" (comic 493). Note his serious face when he says this.

Following this line of thought, the removal of the Jeanne-barrier returns the advantage to Coyote and they can...get rid of the bridge? Hmm.

[Connington]

Honestly, I'm a little disappointed that Coyote didn't take the chance to remind us why the Headmaster was so surprised that Antimony managed to slap Coyote and live. It would have provided a nice reminder that the Forest isn't any better than the Court, which is something that the begining of the chapter suggests she desperately needs. We haven't really seen Coyote get nasty since he put that bracelet of hand-chopping on Antimony's wrist.

Ah well, there's plenty of time in this chapter yet.

[Giggling Ghast]

That was pretty funny, all the same. That fifth panel especially.

[Drascin]

Ah, there it is. That whole thing was probably leading to being able to tell her that without it looking as suspicious.

[eee]

Wow! I didn't know Ysengrin's face could make those kind of expressions!

I imagine Coyote's secret is great, and involves him, and would blow Annie's socks off if she were wearing any. Everyone brace yourselves: This could be a JOLT!

Next week.

[Marnath]

I like how he leapt into Ysengrin's arms without using any of his legs. That's real talent right there.

I also love Ysengrin's expressions. He was so not ready to deal with this today. Apparently we the readers are not the only ones taken by surprise by this shift in tactics.

[Dr.Epic]

Great secret!?!?!? Weekend cliffhanger!

[Squark]

Strangely Adorable Coyote. 50-50 chance of secret being completely and totally mindblowing, or completely and totally mindblowingly stupid. And I don't think we'll hear it until Annie's told him those stories.

[Marnath]

Panel 3 of Monday's update is possibly Coyote's creepiest moment thus far, even more than the weird crap he does with his neck.

I'm still not sure if he's working from a plan or if he's just nuts. Maybe the answer is yes.

[PhantomFox]

I'm just wondering why this is ticking off Ysengrim so severely. Perhaps this isn't something he thinks humans are entitled to hear.

Oh, and my vote goes towards that he has a plan. He seems to be guiding her to a specific story.

[Gez]

I'm just wondering why this is ticking off Ysengrim so severely. Perhaps this isn't something he thinks humans are entitled to hear.

He already disapproved way back then, too.

[Ravens_cry]

Coyote's Picasso face is pretty creepy, but Ysengrin's expression on panel four sends a chill down my spine.
I don't know about wolves, but when I dog makes that expression, it's a cue to back away . . . very slowly.

[Lord Tyger]

He already disapproved way back then, too.

On the other hand, he seems to care for Antimony at this point- maybe he's more worried about the effect the secret will have on her.

[Cuthalion]

Jones is awesome. But on to the discussion.
Coyote reminded me of a cow in last comic, just from the way he looked.

[Mauve Shirt]

Raise your hand if you knew this would happen!

[Yuki Akuma]

Prediction for Friday's comic:

"My secret... that is to say, my dark, terrible secret, which is mine... is..."

[eee]

Of COURSE Coyote is going to break the 4th wall. And the 5th, 6th, and 7th wall, too, if he feels like it.

He's serious in the last panel. He's either going to say something really stunning, or spring a joke. Possibly both.

But this 'Why Ysengrin seethes with anger" bit, that's confusing. And ominous...

[Marnath]

I don't think a single Coyote update has ever failed to creep me out. Necks don't do that!

Did he even let her tell a story, or did he just blurt that little narration blurb out as soon as she said fine?

[Dr.Epic]

Curse you cliffhangers!!!