Gunnerkrigg Court 7: Psychopomp and Circumstance

[lord_khaine]

I think the best example of your point was when Tony was drinking with Donny and he talked earnestly about how hurting Annie was such a failure on his part.

Oh yes. Thats the first example we were given of how he isnt actually an emotionless robot.
And how someone acting so distant could actually have friends.

That's the real Tony, and he's a great guy once you get to know him. The story would suffer enormously if there's a back to the status quo after that. He's not Rick Spender from Paranatural.

Its just a shame that bit is close to impossible
But yeah, he did win at least a bit of respect from me, when he looked at the eldrich abomination who had crushed a house, and said "no" to it.

[RowenMorland]

So Tony is now cool dad for UnFanny. Does this mean that he has been chill with UnCanny for the last six months, or that he will be now, or that he will only be cool with Forest Annie.


Option 2 and option 3 have the potential to make Court Annie max level jelly.

[Gez]

He was cool dad with Short-Haired Annie too.

https://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=2068 -- checking how she handles the shock
https://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=2072 -- calming her
https://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=2075 -- complimenting her


It's quite clear that he considers both Annies to be the same, and treats both of her the same.
https://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=2081
https://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=2089
https://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=2091

Pay particular attention to his reaction to Renard's comment. He didn't see it as having two daughters. He saw it as having one daughter who has somehow been duplicated. He's not making a distinction like most of the readership seems to be doing with a "court" and a "forest" version. There's just Antimony and Antimony, who are the same.

Note how he phrases it: "Having to put up with yourself?"
It's not "with your clone?" or "with a copy of yourself?"; it's "with yourself". Antimony is Antimony and Antimony is Antimony in his mind. It's just that she currently happens to have two independent bodies and two independent minds, but then again, it's not the first time with her.

[lord_khaine]

I think its more precise to say that he considders both Annies a daughter?

One of them is a little older than the other. And has lived though both 6 months of forrest siege.
As well as gotten to experience her father slowly opening up to her, and starting to treat her like family.
That is a lot. Something that can easily change a person. Especially a young one like Annie.

So i do think its more precise to see them as two seperate people at this point.
Though still ones immensely alike.

And i honestly do love this way of adding complications to Annie's life. Because if they are both Annie then its not really something that has an easy solution.

[Gez]

So i do think its more precise to see them as two seperate people at this point.

My point was about how the fictional character of Anthony Carver is seeing the situation; not about what is the most precise way for readers to see the situation. Readers can make a distinction between both Annies; my point was that Tony doesn't. He knows there are two separate Annies that act independently, but he doesn't favor one over the other or think of them as being of a separate essence, so to speak.

[lord_khaine]

My point was about how the fictional character of Anthony Carver is seeing the situation; not about what is the most precise way for readers to see the situation. Readers can make a distinction between both Annies; my point was that Tony doesn't. He knows there are two separate Annies that act independently, but he doesn't favor one over the other or think of them as being of a separate essence, so to speak.

And so was my point as well.
About why he likely see them as two seperate people who are both his daughter.
But enough time has passed that you cant see neither of them as a copy of the other.

Actually, thinking about it then i could see this being hardest of Kat of all people.
Her best friend can be a bit of a bitch. And she could risk being caught in the middle.

[RowenMorland]

And so was my point as well.
About why he likely see them as two seperate people who are both his daughter.
But enough time has passed that you cant see neither of them as a copy of the other.

Actually, thinking about it then i could see this being hardest of Kat of all people.
Her best friend can be a bit of a bitch. And she could risk being caught in the middle.

I am also synchronised with this idea.

[geoduck]

So.. is Rey choosing sides here? I'd be sort of disappointed if he is, since it would be more interesting if both Annies are real.

[eee]

So.. is Rey choosing sides here? I'd be sort of disappointed if he is, since it would be more interesting if both Annies are real.

I doubt choosing sides. I would suspect more an info-dump, since he'll have realized this Annie is six months out of the loop. And perhaps a request for further information about Loup, and some insights on possible courses of action.

[lord_khaine]

Perhaps the realisation that this is the Annie who are currently feeling most lost and alone.
And so currently the one who need a friend most at the moment.
Due to older Annie being a bit of a bitch to younger.

[geoduck]

So.. are we supposed to understand that reaction, or be confused as well?

[SZbNAhL]

So.. are we supposed to understand that reaction, or be confused as well?

They're dating, and are somehow convinced that Annie's the only other person who knows (despite it being really obvious). Annie pointing to Janet is her way of indicating that she knows.

[eee]

Uh-oh. Paz's posture and actions are... ominous.

[Ibrinar]

Though I bet on fake seriousness as a story telling joke! Or maybe not we will see.

[137beth]

So.. are we supposed to understand that reaction, or be confused as well?

See the scene that begins here for a refresher. Also, the bonus page of that chapter.

[eee]

GEEZ!!! I thought Paz was being ominous! I HAD NO IDEA!!!!! O_O

[wingnutx]

I like seeing Paz looking out for her girl.

[Mith]

On one hand: the threat coming out of left field would give one pause.

On the other hand: with everything Annie's been through, is Paz really going to be that much of a problem? At least my understanding is that Ysgrin gave Annie some training while she was off in the forest, and considering her confrontation with Coyote, I see her having no real issue with going full on human torch.

[eee]

On one hand: the threat coming out of left field would give one pause.

On the other hand: with everything Annie's been through, is Paz really going to be that much of a problem? At least my understanding is that Ysgrin gave Annie some training while she was off in the forest, and considering her confrontation with Coyote, I see her having no real issue with going full on human torch.

On the third hand, Paz knows what Annie is capable of, too. Unless she's running a bluff, or speaking with her emotions not her head, she wouldn't make a threat like this unless she thought she could back it up. She may be able to do more than talk to animals.

[halfeye]

On the third hand, Paz knows what Annie is capable of, too.

Ish. She seems to think that forest Annie is a fake, which means she suspects she doesn't have all her abilities.

[Willie the Duck]

So, is Rey having a dirty fantasy or chuckling at the thought that Andrew must be having a dirty fantasy?

[SZbNAhL]

So, is Rey having a dirty fantasy or chuckling at the thought that Andrew must be having a dirty fantasy?

Rey being Rey, probably both.

[Mith]

Rey has always been a bit of a pervert. Since he's inspired by the song Renardine and the stories of Renard the Fox (the two from what I can tell are not related, except maybe calling the bandit of the song smart and cunning), he is definitely a pervert. He's just also, generally, a reasonable being, so that side of him doesn't really surface in a High School setting.

[Willie the Duck]

Rey has always been a bit of a pervert. Since he's inspired by the song Renardine and the stories of Renard the Fox (the two from what I can tell are not related, except maybe calling the bandit of the song smart and cunning), he is definitely a pervert. He's just also, generally, a reasonable being, so that side of him doesn't really surface in a High School setting.

He has once or twice. Mostly in a 'haha, Coyotes also noticed that these two kids smell of each other!' fashion. Although he did once (perhaps to cut an otherwise overly emotional moment) suggest that if Annie and (pre dating-girls) Kat 'wanted to make out' he would not have a problem with it. That was pre-character development, mind you.

[Vinyadan]

Reynardine has two different personalities. The small form is Belkar minus daggers. The wolf form is just "I am Treebeard, but nobler" . I think that this is the first time we see a bridge between the two. Remember that time he asked if the girls were turned on by his form as a stuffed bodybuilder with a dog head?

[Willie the Duck]

Yep, same era as the 'I don't mind if you two girls make out.' I suppose it is small form and wolf form, but I had it framed as pre/post-character development. I suppose given that since we've almost exclusively seen small form early on and wolf form later, the distinction is hard to ferret out.

While the overall story has progressed semi-evenly over the chapters, I do feel that there are some turning points. One is Tom deciding to make Rey a sympathetic, somewhat heroic (or at least noble) character. Another is when Parley and Andrew started... y'know (at least implied), and I think that's when Tom decided having a grown adult (trickster wolf spirit, I know) mack on barely-teens was... pretty creepy. That could be my own interpretation being plastered over it (aging does weird things to you. I never noticed how creepy it was to have 200+ year old Angel falling for 16 y.o. Buffy when I first watched that series, now as someone who could have a 16 y.o. daughter... ), but I swear I see that distinction as well for the GC characters (Rey could do that when his role was much more comedic, and before the kids had actual romances going on).

[SZbNAhL]

I never noticed how creepy it was to have 200+ year old Angel falling for 16 y.o. Buffy when I first watched that series, now as someone who could have a 16 y.o. daughter... ).

Even if we treat his age as being what it was when he was turned (since vampires seem to stop maturing), he was easily mid-twenties. I think the less we think about the implications the better (ditto on the whole child soldier thing).

[Mith]

He has once or twice. Mostly in a 'haha, Coyotes also noticed that these two kids smell of each other!' fashion. Although he did once (perhaps to cut an otherwise overly emotional moment) suggest that if Annie and (pre dating-girls) Kat 'wanted to make out' he would not have a problem with it. That was pre-character development, mind you.

I am somewhat of the theory that a good approach to Immortals is that they don't age, so they can easily revert to any "age" mentality, and the trick is to convince them that they prefer a specific "age" because they enjoy it. Therefore Reynard fairly newly bound to Annie is a bit more juvenile state, combined with just wanting to lash out due to his situation. However, he grew into a more serious character.

I am not saying this is a "fact" but a musing of a way to look at stories. It explains how you can read about these great cosmic creatures like Old Coyote (a creator deity) laughing and telling really juvenile jokes.

[Lizard Lord]

Yep, same era as the 'I don't mind if you two girls make out.' I suppose it is small form and wolf form, but I had it framed as pre/post-character development. I suppose given that since we've almost exclusively seen small form early on and wolf form later, the distinction is hard to ferret out.

That is because there is no distinction to ferret out. His forms does not effect his mind, but his mind effects his form. Rey tends to be in a shape that is more befitting of how he acts at the time, through either an active preference or merely his subconscious. If he is in wolf form more it is because he is acting more like his nobler looking form and that is due to character development.

[eee]

Parley picks up the Annies and tries to smush them together. It does not work well.

(Really, I would suspect Smitty is going to try to get the Annies to see that since all the evidence suggests they're both real, their antagonism and jealousy isn't good and they might be better off accepting each other as a twin they never knew they had. Also, that this is an incredible opportunity for them to understand themselves better, and do they really want to waste it insisting the other can't be real?)