Gunnerkrigg Court 6: Fire Away

[halfeye]

I dunno about you, but thinking two people are such good friends for going after each other like this seems somewhat irrational by human standards. Yelling at someone to go away then come back isn't also a highlight of sanity.

I don't see what those pages have to do with the current update. Perhaps I will binge the archive sometime.

[eschmenk]

I don't see what those pages have to do with the current update. Perhaps I will binge the archive sometime.

Those were fairies who had become human. Specifically, these two.

[guttering flame]

So there are differences. It's still perfectly normal to be peeved at the humans mispronouncing your names.

[Lissou]

Yeah, but I don't think anyone said that was the irrational part.

[eee]

And THIS is what I meant when I said fairies are fun, but not rational by human standards. Or perhaps it's just they've got a different social dynamic.

I wonder if Annie can follow them into the Ether, and bring Andrew along, without her Blinker Stone.

No sign of Red and Blue. They may have graduated. Red, having gotten a name, probably did.

[Randomguy]

And THIS is what I meant when I said fairies are fun, but not rational by human standards. Or perhaps it's just they've got a different social dynamic.

I wonder if Annie can follow them into the Ether, and bring Andrew along, without her Blinker Stone.

No sign of Red and Blue. They may have graduated. Red, having gotten a name, probably did.

They might just be in a different class.

[geoduck]

They might just be in a different class.

Almost certainly. They've been there at least a couple of years now, while Rabbit Guy is a newcomer.

[guttering flame]

Spoiler: New Page

Show

Easygoing Smitty is cool.
Is Antimony a more settled down 'normal' girl now? She's all grey except for a neat modern girl hairdo in her etherial form.

[Mith]

That could reflect that she has more control over her abilities than before.

By that I mean that she is gaining back her power over time, and more exercising efficiency with the power she does have to do what she wants to do. This could be compared to what she was before she Split off her elemental with her riding along on a lot of raw power. This is why she could be so explosive.

That being said, I do miss Annie's long hair. I hope it returns over the course of the comic.

[eschmenk]

Spoiler: New Page

Show

Easygoing Smitty is cool.
Is Antimony a more settled down 'normal' girl now? She's all grey except for a neat modern girl hairdo in her etherial form.

It's the same as what happened in the previous chapter. (First time and second one.) Her clothing just turns grey, but otherwise remains the same. (At first glance it may look like a different outfit this time, but it isn't.) The same thing also seemed to happen the first time she entered the ether, except she also had the wild hair back then, so I assume that, other than the hair, it's always consistent, but I really haven't been paying attention to that.

[Rodin]

Huh. Looking through...yeah, she is always in grey. I'm not sure if it's ALWAYS, as I don't have time to go through and check every instance, but I checked several stories and her clothing always goes grey when she's in the ether.

How did I not notice this before!??

[Mith]

I had thought she had her Forest garb in colour, but that appears to be a headcannon since I cannot find an ether trip with her forest garb.

[Mobius Twist]

I suspect the reason I never noticed before is that she originally was placed against muted versions of colored backgrounds, so her own muted outfit matched. This time there is so much color present that the black background and BLOOOOOOM everywhere tends to make it noticeable.

[Randomguy]

It's not just her clothing: Almost everyones. In the "Red gets a name" chapter all the former fairies had greyed out clothes, too, except for the teacher. I'm assuming it's because clothes don't normally have an aetheric presence.

[eee]

THAT'S Etheric <Snuffle>????????? O_O

RE Bugsy's clothes: If only living things (and hair) have color in the Etheric, does that mean her clothes are part of her?

[Yuki Akuma]

THAT'S Etheric <Snuffle>????????? O_O

RE Bugsy's clothes: If only living things (and hair) have color in the Etheric, does that mean her clothes are part of her?

See the glyphs all up her arms? I think her clothes might just be magic. Annie's blinker stone had colour in the ether too, if you'll recall.

[eee]

See the glyphs all up her arms? I think her clothes might just be magic. Annie's blinker stone had colour in the ether too, if you'll recall.

Ah yes, that's a good explanation for the color.

But then the question arises, WHY are her clothes magic? Are they enchanted? Are they actually an illusion? Is she under some sort of restraint?

Gunnerkrigg Court, where answers just give rise to more questions...

[guttering flame]

Ooh la la! If the Court cannot come to the Forest, the Forest will come to the Court. The disinfection procedures are useless!

[eee]

The strings of fate are wrapped around Smitty's fingers? O_o

[Mith]

Perhaps those strings are bindings that keeps ones spirit unable to project into the ether.

[geoduck]

Perhaps those strings are bindings that keeps ones spirit unable to project into the ether.

No, it's almost certainly a depiction of his power.

[eee]

Fairies can't see the strings of fate? O_o

[Zea mays]

Annie sees things differently in the ether than the ex-fairies do. I don't know why I'm surprised by this.

[eee]

This is actually a little confusing. I mean, we can see Bunny-boy's progress ("I'm HUMAN! Wait, why do I have to wear artificial skins? What are these THINGS on the end of my arms? What am I DOING???"), but what is he speaking? Until now most communication has been in English; so where is this coming from and what is it?

[eschmenk]

This is actually a little confusing. I mean, we can see Bunny-boy's progress ("I'm HUMAN! Wait, why do I have to wear artificial skins? What are these THINGS on the end of my arms? What am I DOING???"), but what is he speaking? Until now most communication has been in English; so where is this coming from and what is it?

The idea is apparently to make it as confusing for the readers as it is to Annie. That way we know how she is experiencing it.

There was an obvious parallel, but in reverse, on the previous page. Annie could see the strings, but Ms. Bugsy couldn't. Perhaps different people can perceive the ether to different extents. Andrew can't see any of it. Annie and the fairies perceive much of it, but not all of it. Coyote probably perceives all of the ether, so he would see the strings as well as be able to understand the presentation.

[eee]

Ah, I see; he was initially communicating his thoughts basically in 'rabbit'. And as he learned English, that's what he switched to.

And the question was asked, why the Court allows animals to make the change into humans. And here we see a possible answer: Leet hackers, crackers, and script kiddies. All they know is data processing, so that's what they get incredibly good at. And if that data is how to manipulate the Etheric...

[sihnfahl]

And here we see a possible answer: Leet hackers, crackers, and script kiddies. All they know is data processing, so that's what they get incredibly good at. And if that data is how to manipulate the Etheric...

Let's not forget their genesis.

Custom grown bodies that they can transfer consciousness into with a ritual.

What about ... artificially created consciousnesses?

[Qwertystop]

Wait, is that the Win98 defrag visualizer?? Wish that thing was still in.

[hajo]

Wait, is that the Win98 defrag visualizer?? Wish that thing was still in.

Nah, Win98 had a fullscreen display with little squares. (Somewhat like ultradefrag)
Little stripes came up with Win2K.

[Qwertystop]

Nah, Win98 had a fullscreen display with little squares.
Little stripes came up with Win2K.

Ah. I just remember that 98 had multiple rows of boxes of non-negligible size, and XP had replaced it with... a single row of the thinnest lines possible. And then they dropped it entirely by either Vista or 7, I don't remember which. Never actually had a computer running 2K.