Gunnerkrigg Court 4: Friends in Need

[DoctorFaust]

I don't know if this has been said before, or if it bears mentioning, but the alchemical symbol for mercury looks a lot like a combination of the symbols for bismuth and antimony, or at least the ones I've seen.

[Giggling Ghast]

That doll is evil, I tells ya! Evil! EEEEEEEEVIL!

[Landis963]

I'm kind of wondering who Adam is. And why Hetty feels the need to make the "scoundrel" feel "miserable."

[Miklus]

That doll is evil, I tells ya! Evil! EEEEEEEEVIL!

It's a demon! It must be a demon posessing a doll. It's the bride of chucky!

[Coidzor]

I have to admit, I thought glass fiber loose in one's environment like that meant it got into one's lungs, shredded them to hell, and slowly killed a person if they didn't receive medical attention.

[Qwertystop]

I have to admit, I thought glass fiber loose in one's environment like that meant it got into one's lungs, shredded them to hell, and slowly killed a person if they didn't receive medical attention.

Yeah, pretty much. Keep in mind, though, this is a very small amount - Hetty's tiny.

[Fjolnir]

if hetty is some kind of constructor fae like a brownie or something, she could be capable of weaving it into his bedding or nightclothes in such a way as to make it a severe irritant without much in the way of noticeable differences

[TuggyNE]

I have to admit, I thought glass fiber loose in one's environment like that meant it got into one's lungs, shredded them to hell, and slowly killed a person if they didn't receive medical attention.

How do you know this isn't?

[Coidzor]

How do you know this isn't?

I suppose she could be mischaracterizing coughing up blood.

[TuggyNE]

I suppose she could be mischaracterizing coughing up blood.

Incidentally, I don't think I mentioned this, but panel 1/2/3 are at once hysterical and horrifying.

[fwiffo]

Hmmm.... Renard is not really a toy (or less toy) wolf, he is a being contained in such a toy. Hetty same?

[eee]

It's odd Rey would allow the 'simpering mistress' comment to pass unchallenged. Perhaps that's just the way Hetty talks. Or perhaps she's pointed out Annie DOES smile in a silly manner, when she smiles without meaning it... Assuming she knows Annie...

I wonder what Adam has done so so enrage Hetty. Whatever he's done, it's apparently enough to bring Rey on board with her efforts at payback.

And I wonder where they're going to have to stop first. It looks like Rey leads a rather full life while Annie's in school.

[Gez]

I think it's just that he doesn't want to find fiberglass in his fur.

[Somebloke]

So, there is a whole frackking society of spirits trapped in dolls/toys who hang around and swap notes.

I really, really, REALLY want to see if they have a net forum.

[spectralphoenix]

Maybe Reynard's infiltrating the Confederacy of Evil Dolls in order to bring it down from within?

[Giggling Ghast]

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Is that the young man Reynard killed via possession?

[The Rose Dragon]

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Is that the young man Reynard killed via possession?

That is what I thought as well, though I can't be sure.

[eee]

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Is that the young man Reynard killed via possession?

That is what I suspect.

But there are some oddities here. There's just a name on that gravestone, no date of birth or death. All the stones are the same shape and laid out in a regular pattern, like a military cemetery. And yet, there are trees growing what looks like randomly through out; moderately old trees, too, past the sapling stage. It's a pretty LARGE cemetery. And the grass looks somewhat long...

These things don't quite add up.

[Mono Vertigo]

I suspect the lack of dates is so us readers can't pinpoint the chronological location of this story (because that would bring up irrelevant speculations).
The rest, though? Good points.

[Giggling Ghast]

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Theory confirmed, more or less.

Man, Coyote can be a d***.

[Lizard Lord]

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If it was not confirmed before it is now, Coyote is the villain of this comic.

[eee]

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If it was not confirmed before it is now, Coyote is the villain of this comic.

Not the only one. Sir Young, Diego... And we haven't seen who's running the Court now, but so far there have been hints that things aren't good...

Who IS this guy, though? He's taking a survey, is apparently on friendly terms with Rey... I would assume Rey chose him because he had access to the Court... and Surma... but why would someone from the Court be taking a survey in the Forest?

For every answer, a dozen more questions.

[Coidzor]

Some form of biological, geological, or etheric survey would make the most sense.

[sihnfahl]

If it was not confirmed before it is now, Coyote is the villain of this comic.

Late enough now to not need spoilers.

As eee said, he's not the only one. In fact, it pretty much seems that everyone in power has done, or encouraged, either questionable or downright nasty behavior. Coyote, though, seems to be the sort to offer someone the gun and coax people into pulling the trigger. The Court is more direct; they pull the triggers.

To seal the river from any spirits crossing? Kill a forest dweller and trap his human lover's angry spirit on the bank.

Need to drain etheric energy? Rainstorms! Oh, it's detrimental to those that require ambient etheric energy? Too bad.

Need to trap a seemingly out of control forest dweller? Use his attraction to someone as a trap...


Power over trees, to the point of making it living armor? Oh, sorry, didn't think to mention overuse of it would make you so weak you'd never really be able to live without it anymore. But you really should have thought about that when you were starting to weaken...

Power to possess anything? Oh, things die when you do? Ah, but maybe it's just the fact they're animals! Maybe it won't happen in humans ... and you do so want to be with that lovely human...

[Giggling Ghast]

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What a handsome fellow! I can't see why Surma was put off at all.

[Mauve Shirt]

Dang. I hope one of YOU bought Annie In The Forest, because it's already sold out.

[Othniel Edden]

Didn't even have a ghost of a chance.

[eee]

And here we see one of the common problems with being a torrid teen temptress seeking to entice a demi-god to join your faction with thoughts of cross-species snugglebunnies: It's all fun and games until said demi-god takes over the body of a friend to be with you and becomes an object of extreme horror and guilt and you have to send three more of your friends to take him down... Oh, if we only had a dime for everytime that happens. (sigh)

This is probably the point at which Surma stopped being the Medium. I would imagine it was also guilt that caused her to eventually break off contact with Anja, Donald, and Jimmy Jims and led her to leave the Court entirely.

Hetty's really not much into guilt at all, I can see...

[Marnath]

And here we see one of the common problems with being a torrid teen temptress seeking to entice a demi-god to join your faction with thoughts of cross-species snugglebunnies: It's all fun and games until said demi-god takes over the body of a friend to be with you and becomes an object of extreme horror and guilt and you have to send three more of your friends to take him down... Oh, if we only had a dime for everytime that happens. (sigh)

This is probably the point at which Surma stopped being the Medium. I would imagine it was also guilt that caused her to eventually break off contact with Anja, Donald, and Jimmy Jims and led her to leave the Court entirely.

Hetty's really not much into guilt at all, I can see...

Does Hetty even know what's going on? She most likely can't see the flashback and he may never have told her why he comes here.

[eee]

Nope, Hetty's not into guilt at all. She's into results.